Chapter 1726
No.1
Once Theodore returned to his study, he took out his phone and dialed Isabella's number.
The same automated message greeted him.
"The number you have dialed is not in service."
His expression darkened.
Was she really with another man?
Was that why she refused to come home?
Who was he? Nathaniel Blackwood?
Theodore recalled how Nathaniel had publicly supported Isabella.
But would the prestigious Blackwood family ever accept someone like her?
No.2
Impossible!
His lawyer approached quietly. "Mr. Montgomery, do you still wish to transfer all your assets to Isabella?"
Theodore had made that decision days ago.
Victoria had taken his shares.
Benjamin was useless.
He feared all his property would eventually fall into Victoria's hands.
He worried Isabella would be bullied and left with nothing.
He wanted her to have something to rely on.
Something that would ensure her security and independence.
No.3
Theodore Montgomery never expected such complications. Transferring his assets to Isabella would spark family-wide opposition. He dismissed the idea with a weary wave. "Not now."
At Rosewood Manor.
Isabella plugged in her silenced phone while preparing for her Westhaven flight. She cradled Oliver, reading until his eyelids grew heavy. By eleven, the child slept peacefully in his bed. "I have to go out," she whispered to Nathaniel. "Watch Christopher for me."
He glanced up from his documents. "At this hour?"
She gave a firm nod. "Benjamin's in serious trouble. This requires my personal intervention."
"I could arrange—"
"Your men can't handle this situation," she interrupted. "It demands specific expertise. Stay with our son."
Isabella retrieved her tactical gear from the dressing room. Nathaniel didn't argue when she resolved like this. Yet after her departure, he immediately contacted Dominic. "Deploy a hundred men to shadow her."
"Yes, sir!"
No.4
Driving her compact car from the estate, Isabella noticed multiple missed calls from Theodore. She tried calling back but received no answer. Unusual behavior for her grandfather—he never called repeatedly without urgency.
Suspicion gnawed at her. She executed a sharp U-turn toward Montgomery Manor while contacting Maxwell. "Delay the flight one hour. I'm checking on my grandfather first."
The manor's gates stood locked at eleven, all lights extinguished. Only the entrance lamp cast a feeble glow across the property. Isabella rang the bell repeatedly until a guard appeared.
"Miss Montgomery? You've returned?"
"I need to see my grandfather." She moved to enter but found her path blocked.
"Apologies, but the Senior retired quite distressed tonight. I must inform Sir and Madam before granting entry."
Isabella's eyes narrowed. Since when did she require permission to enter her own home?
Even during her most unpopular years, no one had barred her from the family estate. This was unprecedented.
"What happened today?" Her voice turned icy and sharp.
No.5
"Unclear, Miss. Evening orders stated you couldn't pass this gate without authorization. Please understand I'm following instructions."
The adjacent guard was already calling Richard. The phone soon transferred to Isabella. She accepted it with a frosty expression, curious what explanation her uncle would offer.
Isabella took the phone, her expression hardening instantly. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” Richard’s voice was a low, furious growl. “How dare you use that tone with me? Have you finally decided to grace us with your presence after all your gallivanting? Do you think Montgomery Manor is some cheap motel you can check into whenever it suits you?”
His anger escalated with every word. “Letting your mother bring you home was the biggest mistake of my life!” he spat. “You destroyed your own reputation five years ago, and now you’re trying to drag your sister down with you? You’ve shamed the Montgomery name! I should have ended you the day you arrived. It would have saved us all this disgrace!”
Isabella was blindsided by the tirade. Before she could form a response, Eleanor snatched the phone.
“Whatever Victoria did to you, even if she pushed you down those stairs, she is still your sister!” Eleanor’s voice was sharp, laced with venom. “That bastard child never should have existed! How can you be so vindictive? Holding a grudge for five years and now trying to ruin our family’s standing? You are utterly ungrateful!”
Isabella’s face went cold. So they knew. Victoria had gotten to them first, spinning her web of lies.
“You need to take a long, hard look at yourself, Isabella,” Eleanor continued, her words like shards of glass. “Stop spreading your legs for every stranger you meet. You’re an embarrassment. If you ever want to set foot in this house again, you will apologize to your sister. Properly. Then, and only then, might you be allowed to move your things back in. But if you think you can treat this estate like your personal flophouse, you can forget it. I wish we’d never taken you in. To me, you’re already dead!”
No.6
Each syllable was a deliberate blow. Apologize to Victoria? Sleeping around? They were swallowing every lie Victoria fed them, even after her own scandals. How could they be so blind? Did tears and dramatics always win over the truth?
Eleanor didn’t give her a chance to defend herself. She barked orders to the security team. “Make her leave. If any one of you lets her past the gates, you’re all fired. Every last one of you!” The line went dead.
The guards looked at Isabella with palpable anxiety. “Ms. Montgomery, please… don’t make this difficult for us.”
Isabella stared at the imposing Montgomery Manor. The grand, picturesque facade now felt like a cruel joke. This was her birthright, stolen from her for twenty-three years by Victoria.
Now, even returning was a battle.
A dark, cold smirk touched her lips. Soon. Very soon, they would all be on their knees, begging for her return.
She tossed the phone back to the guard and turned on her heel.
Saving Benjamin was the priority. As for Grandfather…
She slid into her car and quickly typed a message to Theodore Montgomery. [I don’t know what lies Victoria has told you, but trust nothing from her mouth. I will explain everything when I return.]
No.7
She powered off her phone and sped toward the private airfield. None of them had any idea. The adopted daughter they despised was their true heir.
At the private airport…
As Isabella’s car screeched to a halt, Maxwell was already waiting, flanked by ten of his most elite agents. They stood at rigid attention, bowing in unison as she stepped out. “Ms. Montgomery!”
Their respect was absolute. Their orders had come from the very top: protect this woman at all costs. Maxwell had told them only she could get to Takashi Yamamoto’s mountain stronghold. Where they would fail, she would succeed. Her capability was beyond question.
Isabella’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight of the large contingent. Too many.
“Why bring such a large team? Send them back to rest.”
“You’re heading to Westhaven. We have no operations there. Extra manpower ensures safety,” Maxwell explained.
Isabella countered sharply. “I’m going directly to Takashi Yamamoto’s mountain. I’ll retrieve Benjamin and return immediately. They can’t even ascend the summit… unless they intend to become mosquito bait at the base?”
Maxwell fell silent at her logic.