Chapter 169
No.1
Alexander watched her back, his eyes narrowing. How did she navigate this treacherous path so elegantly? One wrong step could send her tumbling down the mountainside. Yet she showed no fear whatsoever.
Admiration flickered in his gaze.
He remembered how Victoria had clung to him desperately when they came here last night. Her vulnerability had fed his masculine pride. But Isabella’s confident composure showed him a different kind of strength.
A woman like her belonged only to him.
His expression darkened as he thought of his plan. He quickened his pace to catch up with her. They walked for over thirty minutes before reaching the mountain’s base.
The sky had deepened into twilight. Village homes showed signs of evening meals being prepared, with smoke curling from their chimneys.
Alexander finally stepped in front of Isabella, blocking her path. “Follow me.”
She remained alert as she trailed him deeper into the village. They passed between ridges and along deserted paths. The gathering darkness hid them from any watching eyes.
As they walked, Alexander began speaking slowly. “Isabella, I’ve regretted my actions these past five years. I never should have enabled Victoria’s mistakes back then.”
No.2
Isabella merely laughed coldly, offering no response.
If a man like him could truly repent, the world might as well spin backward.
Still, she wanted to discover what game he was playing.
“I mean every word, Isabella.” Alexander stopped abruptly and turned to face her. “During our wedding ceremony, I genuinely wanted to marry you. I wanted to spend my life making things right with you. What happened with Victoria was an accident. Bringing you to find Vincent Moreau today proves my sincerity.”
“Enough nonsense. Are we moving or not?” Isabella’s impatience was palpable.
Alexander’s face darkened again. He had swallowed his pride to say those words, and she dismissed him so contemptuously?
How dare she treat him this way?
He suppressed his anger, remembering his plan. “You’ll believe me soon enough.”
His cold tone carried absolute confidence. As they walked, he made a quick phone call. “Isabella doesn’t believe me. We proceed now.”
No.3
“Sir? Are you certain about involving Ms. Victoria—”
“This is an order. Execute immediately.” Alexander ended the call before hearing more.
Isabella’s sharp hearing caught every word.
‘Execute immediately’? Regarding Victoria?
What scheme was he concocting now?
She followed him to a remote hut nestled against the mountainside. A faint, dim light glowed from within.
Instead of approaching the main entrance, Alexander led her to the side of the structure.
A transparent window allowed a clear view inside. Isabella saw a large, rough-looking man throwing a bound woman onto a bed.
“Forgive me, Ms. Victoria,” the man growled, “but Mr. Alexander needs to earn Isabella’s forgiveness. You overstepped back then… This is your punishment.”
No.4
The man’s thick, coarse hands tore at Victoria’s clothing.
Rip!
The fabric gave way. The woman curled into herself on the bed, screaming and crying. Her dress hung in tatters, revealing her pale, slender legs.
“No…This can’t be happening! Alexander would never do this to me! Get out! You can’t touch me! I demand to see Alexander!”
“Give it up! Your precious Alexander is obsessed with Isabella now! He doesn’t want you anymore! Tonight, you belong to me!”
The man pinned Victoria down and ripped her dress to shreds.
Fabric tore violently, leaving her exposed in nothing but her undergarments. She sobbed uncontrollably, trembling with raw fear.
Isabella’s brow furrowed. Had Alexander truly sunk so low as to orchestrate this violation?
Even in the dim light, she recognized the man’s surgically altered profile. Her sharp eyes identified him instantly: Vincent Moreau.
No.5
His gaze was brutish, features coarse and unrefined. Yellowed teeth flashed in a predatory grin. After hiding in these backwoods for five years, he had emerged to attack Victoria.
“I know you crave vengeance, Isabella,” Alexander murmured from the shadows, grasping her hand. “Consider this my most sincere apology. I vow to never disappoint you again. Victoria means nothing to me now. I will spend my life making amends, repaying my mistakes a hundred times over.”
His voice dripped with manufactured sincerity. Even he couldn’t distinguish truth from performance anymore. Somewhere along the way, his feelings for Isabella had shifted.
Isabella merely scoffed, yanking her hand free. She strode toward the hut’s entrance.
Alexander frowned. What was she doing?
Bam!
The wooden door exploded inward under her kick. She marched straight into the bedroom.
Inside, Vincent was aggressively mauling Victoria. Her clothes lay in tattered ruins.
“Pathetic,” Isabella spat.
No.6
She approached the bed, her fingers expertly finding a seam on Victoria’s face. With a sharp tug, she ripped.
Fwoop!
A lifelike silicone mask peeled away. The woman beneath was not Victoria.
The air froze.
Vincent gaped in shock. Alexander, who had just entered, stood equally stunned.
He had paid a fortune for that custom mask. How had Isabella detected the forgery in near darkness? Her perception was terrifying.
Isabella tossed the mask dismissively. It landed at Alexander’s feet.
Her eyes hardened into icy daggers. “What did you hope to achieve with this pathetic charade?” she sneered.
“Isabella, I…” Alexander was utterly disarmed, words failing him.
No.7
He had envisioned her falling into his arms with gratitude, not exposing his deception.
Isabella turned her fury on Vincent. She seized his collar and hauled him off the bed.
She lifted a man weighing over 70 kilograms with terrifying ease.
With explosive force, she slammed him against the wall. The entire hut shuddered from the impact.
“Argh!”
He crumpled to the floor, howling in agony. His insides felt rearranged. What kind of woman possessed such monstrous strength?
Before he could speak, Isabella advanced. Each step radiated lethal intent.
Isabella Montgomery stood facing Vincent Moreau, her gaze glacial.
This man had destroyed her five years ago. He shattered her entire existence!