Chapter 1724
No.1
Some women possessed a fleeting allure that faded with familiarity. Isabella’s was timeless.
Her radiance never dulled. Day after day, it held the same magnetic intensity.
Her eyes, especially… They glimmered like crystals drawn from ancient wells—clear, luminous, yet touched with a knowing depth. They were story-filled, compelling.
Her beauty stood in stark contrast to Sophia’s. Sophia inspired protectiveness. Isabella commanded distance.
Just then, Oliver noticed him and beamed. “Daddy! You’re home! Come say hi to the baby!”
Nathaniel frowned. Say hi to the baby?
Isabella was equally confused. “The baby in Mommy’s tummy!” Oliver chirped adorably. “I read that talking to the baby makes it smarter after birth.”
“Watch!” He turned toward Isabella’s abdomen and waved. “Hi, little sister! I’m your big brother! I’m playing checkers with Mommy now. When you come out, I’ll play with you every day! Look—Daddy’s back.”
Isabella and Nathaniel exchanged uneasy glances. Lying to a child like Oliver was a terrible mistake.
No.2
Oliver met everything with eager anticipation. His imagination knew no bounds. How would he react when he learned the truth?
Forget the future. How would he accept that his Mommy wasn’t actually pregnant?
Isabella had never faced a situation this delicate.
Nathaniel hesitated. He paused to hang his suit jacket. Then he moved toward them.
“She’s still very small,” he said gently. “She won’t start growing for another month. You should read more science books, or your friends might tease you.”
“A whole month?” Oliver looked puzzled.
Isabella ruffled his hair affectionately. “Daddy’s right. The baby hasn’t begun developing yet. We usually start interacting after three months. It’s common knowledge.”
Three months… Isabella wondered where she and Nathaniel would stand by then. Maybe by then, she’d find a better way to explain.
Oliver pouted, disappointed by their answer. “Oh… okay.”
No.3
Seeing his downcast expression, Nathaniel quickly changed the subject. “Look what I brought.”
He handed Oliver a paper bag. Inside were his favorite Orleans-style roasted chicken wings.
Oliver’s eyes lit up instantly. “Wow! Thanks, Daddy! I love you!”
Clutching the chicken wings, his mood lifted immediately. He scampered to the dining table to eat.
Isabella watched his lively little figure and smiled. Children were so pure. Their joys came so easily.
She turned to Nathaniel. “How was work? Tough?”
His expression darkened. Work wasn’t the problem. What weighed on him was far more complicated.
He had helped Sophia out of pity. But he’d helped her many times over the years.
If Sophia truly was the woman from that night, and Oliver was really her son… would Isabella still trust him?
No.4
Isabella noticed the sudden intensity in Nathaniel’s gaze when she asked her question. It was as if he were wrestling with something dark and complicated. She rarely saw him look so conflicted. “What’s wrong? Is it that difficult to talk about?”
“No.” He snapped back to the present, his eyes locking onto hers with fierce protectiveness. “Isabella, I need you to promise me something.”
“Hmm?” She tilted her head, curious.
Nathaniel’s voice was low and serious. “There might be… complications ahead. Things that could test us. I need you to trust me completely. No matter what you see or hear—trust that I will handle it. Don’t let anyone plant doubt in your mind.”
His expression was so grave it made her chest tighten. Was this about the incident five years ago? Had he uncovered something disturbing? Something that might hurt her?
A soft smile touched her lips. “You don’t have to worry. When I choose someone, I don’t waver. If I did, it wouldn’t be love.”
His eyes darkened at her words. Love. Did she really love him? He hoped so. He needed to clean up the past—fast.
After he left to deal with some documents, Isabella watched him go, her mind racing. She quickly sent a message to Maxwell. [Ask the Uncles if they’ve found anything new about Nathaniel’s incident five years ago.]
Maxwell replied almost instantly. [Will do. But there’s something more urgent.] [Tiffany is secretly trying to sell her shares. They could be gone within two days. She also just showed up at the office. Looks like she’s pushing a big project.] [We scouted Uji Quin’s compound. The place is covered in infrared sensors. The terrain is a nightmare. Even my best men can’t guarantee we can extract Robert safely.]
No.5
Isabella’s expression tightened. So Tiffany was getting desperate.
If Maxwell’s team couldn’t handle it, the mission was borderline impossible. That meant she had to go herself.
It wasn’t that she was more skilled than they were. But her body was smaller, more flexible. At the training base, she’d always been the one who could slip past detectors without setting them off. It was her specialty.
After a moment’s thought, she typed back. [Keep monitoring Tiffany. Proceed with the plan. How is Robert? Is he hurt?]
[Not physically. But it’s complicated. Robert doesn’t realize he’s been kidnapped. Uji Quin has him convinced that fasting unlocks gaming potential. The idiot hasn’t eaten or drunk anything since he got there.]
Isabella almost laughed. Robert was so sharp in some ways, so painfully naive in others. If she didn’t act soon, he might actually starve.
She glanced toward the dining room where Oliver was. Then she replied. [Prepare the jet. I leave for Kansas at midnight.]
The flight from Westchester to Kansas would take two hours. If she moved quickly, she could be back before dawn.
Tiffany didn’t return home after leaving Whitmore Plaza. She went straight to Jordan Group and demanded an emergency board meeting.
No.6
Victoria Kensington stood before the boardroom, presenting the nationwide Garden Properties initiative. She announced the requirement for a hundred-billion-dollar loan to fund the ambitious venture.
The room erupted in immediate dissent. "Ms. Kensington, have you lost your mind? A hundred billion is impossible!"
"Are you ignoring our current crisis? Montgomery shares have plummeted, causing a hundred and fifty billion in losses already. Now you want to borrow another hundred billion?"
"This project will bankrupt Montgomery Group if it fails!"
Even Penelope Sinclair voiced her concern. "Victoria, this is far too dangerous. We must be cautious."
Victoria remained seated in the director's chair, her expression unwavering. "Setting aside the financial aspect, is this not an exceptional project?"
The board members exchanged uneasy glances. Silence fell across the room. They couldn't deny the project's potential brilliance.
Their nation was advancing sixth-generation garden properties, granting even modest homes the luxury of beautiful gardens. Major developers were testing similar projects in limited regions. If Montgomery Group launched this nationwide, they would dominate the industry within two years.
But the risk was astronomical. One hundred billion dollars. Even utilizing all available Montgomery funds would leave them fifty billion in debt. Failure meant utter destruction.
No.7
"I recognize your apprehensions," Victoria addressed the tense atmosphere. "However, remember that I now hold the Director position. Any consequences will fall upon me. I accept full responsibility for this venture."
"If I'm willing to risk everything, why shouldn't you support me? Trust my judgment. I want what's best for this company. This risk promises the most substantial returns."
"I will personally secure the loan. It won't take long."
The board gradually yielded to Victoria's determined conviction. She spoke truth—she controlled the majority shares and would bear the ultimate burden. Her fearlessness became their reassurance.
Success meant enormous dividends. Crucially, with Montgomery Group hemorrhaging money, securing bank loans would signal financial confidence to investors. The new project could reshape their perception entirely.
The proposal passed with full board endorsement.
Victoria proceeded directly to the bank negotiations, carrying the Montgomery Group's official seal. Alone in her car, pure malice glittered in her eyes. Her scheme was falling into place perfectly.
She would leave Isabella Montgomery a devastating farewell gift.
The Montgomery family learned the news that same evening. Victoria was conspicuously absent from dinner.