Chapter 1645
No.1
The butler approached with a matte black device.
He set it gently on the coffee table.
“Hello, Kitty,” the butler said.
The machine responded instantly.
“How can I assist you, Uncle?”
Its voice was soft and charming, almost childlike.
The butler turned to Isabella.
“Ms. Montgomery, would you like to try?”
Isabella’s gaze fell upon the machine.
“Hello, Kitty.”
The device replied without hesitation.
“What can I do for you, Mommy?”
Isabella’s brow furrowed as understanding washed over her.
No.2
Nathaniel gave a slight nod.
The butler promptly removed Kitty from the room.
They were alone again.
Nathaniel turned to her.
“Quantum’s Smart Home System is named Kitty. It’s designed to feel like a family pet. To make the experience more personal, it recognizes voices. It calls the eldest male ‘Grandpa,’ the female head ‘Mommy,’ and so on.”
He paused, his voice growing heavier.
“Last year, I took Oliver to the demo house. He saw other children with their parents. Their systems called out ‘Mommy.’ His never did. He had a seizure that night. We never used it again.”
Isabella’s heart clenched painfully.
She could picture it clearly—a room full of happy families, and a little boy standing alone.
His device silent where others spoke.
The ache must have been unbearable.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why not contact the surrogate? She gave birth to him. The Blackwoods have resources. She might have returned for him.”
No.3
Besides, his real mother would understand him better.
Nathaniel’s gaze darkened.
If only it were that simple.
He thought of that night five years ago.
Would Isabella still look at him if she knew?
She despised men who took advantage.
After a tense silence, he replied, “It was handled discreetly. No records exist. And the Blackwoods would never accept a surrogate. You know how my father is.”
Isabella pressed her lips together.
He was right.
Senior Blackwood was ruthless.
He would never allow a woman of “lower status” near his grandson.
It would destroy Oliver to lose a mother twice.
But something felt off.
No.4
Nathaniel always grew tense when this subject arose.
Suddenly, Dominic burst into the room.
His face was pale.
“Boss,” he gasped. “The Blackthorn Syndicate—they’ve escaped.”
Escaped?
Nathaniel’s face turned to ice.
His elite team never failed.
How could anyone outsmart them?
Isabella’s brows drew together as she studied Nathaniel with a skeptical look. “You went after the Blackthorn Syndicate?”
Nathaniel gave a firm nod. “I couldn’t stand by while you were dealing with this.”
All she wanted was to uncover the man’s identity, and Nathaniel decided to dismantle the entire syndicate?
Even worse, the Blackthorn Syndicate had managed to evade his team.
“We spent days preparing,” Dominic explained, “but somehow, they got wind of it. By the time we reached their headquarters, they were gone. They cleared out every piece of evidence and document.”
No.5
Isabella’s frown deepened. So the syndicate had discovered their plan?
On second thought, the Blackwoods were high-profile, and Nathaniel had publicly defended her. Whether it was Vivienne, Alexander, or even Victoria, any of them could have uncovered their connection. With the syndicate’s escape, the situation had grown far more complicated.
“Don’t worry,” Nathaniel assured her, his voice steady. “I’ll handle this for you.”
He turned to Dominic, his tone commanding. “I don’t care what it takes. Track down every last one of them.”
“Understood, Sir.” Dominic moved to leave.
“Wait!” Isabella called out quickly. “Keep it quiet this time. Operate in the shadows. Just find Vincent Moreau.”
“Yes, Madam.” With a nod, Dominic exited.
Nathaniel’s expression darkened at the name. Vincent Moreau? Was that the man who had hurt Isabella?
A fresh wave of anger tightened his features.
That same day, Blackwood Corporation issued a stark warning to all partners and suppliers: anyone connected to Vincent Moreau would be terminated immediately and face triple penalties.
Nathaniel was never one to hesitate, whether the offense was personal or not.
It was then that Dominic remembered a piece of intel he had nearly forgotten. He sent a quick text.
Mr. Blackwood, our investigation confirms that the campaign to shut down GoldenPhoenix was initiated by Seraphina Delacroix.
No.6
Nathaniel’s reply was immediate. Two days. Make SilverPeak vanish.
Isabella remained unaware of the exchange, focused on her own battles.
Later that day, the president of Vertex Communications released an official statement: As Vice President of Vertex Communications, Isabella Montgomery acted in full compliance with company protocol and legal standards. In cases involving fraud, Vertex retains the right to cooperate with judicial and law enforcement authorities, including providing access to call records.
In other words, Isabella had followed every rule.
Wait… Isabella was Vice President of Vertex Communications?!
The internet exploded.
Oh my god! What’s happening now?! The Diamond Boss is also a VP at Vertex?!
This feels more like a movie than real life!
What else don’t we know about Boss Montgomery?
She runs the Diamond Company, the Ohly diamond store, her modeling career, and she’s a VP at Vertex? She’s a true polymath!
Am I the only one who sees the real issue here? The so-called genius Vivienne was the one who abused her power to send system-wide texts to all TitanTech users!
That final question redirected everyone's focus.
(Exactly! Buying TitanTech phones doesn't grant them permission to spam system notifications! Those messages couldn't be dismissed or ignored either. They were literally forcing us to read them!)
No.7
[Didn't Vivienne call Isabella and Arabella shameless, claiming to defend her best friend Genevieve? Abusing power is still unacceptable, right?)
[Honestly, I doubt Vivienne was just defending a friend. It feels more like a targeted attack on Isabella and GoldenPhoenix.]
[Absolutely! The moment everyone praised Boss Montgomery, the forums got flooded with hate comments against her. If that wasn't orchestrated, I'll stream myself eating shit.]
[They're both top-tier entrepreneurs. Maybe Vivienne can't handle another woman matching her status?]
You know what they say—two tigers can't share one mountain. I'm convinced Vivienne and Isabella have serious history!]
[Hah! Vivienne probably thought Isabella was some clueless trust fund baby. Never expected a real boss, did she?]
Netizens typed furiously, thoroughly entertained by the clash. Hundreds of thousands of comments piled up within a single day.
A sly smirk touched Isabella's lips. They could hire trolls, but so could she!
Did Vivienne want a war? She should've anticipated this!
The drama escalated further. When the stock market opened the next morning, TitanTech's shares nosedived, losing billions in value.
Influencers erupted over Vivienne's actions, hosting live streams condemning TitanTech. Public opinion turned sharply against her.