Chapter 1800
No.1
“You have every right to refuse me. And I have every right to pursue you. I endure the pain of your rejection. Can’t you tolerate my pursuit in return?” he declared, his confidence making him sound like the wounded party.
Exasperated, Isabella chose to ignore him.
She sank onto the sofa and announced coldly, “Do whatever you want. I won’t be eating that breakfast.”
Nathaniel was irritated, questioning the strength of her resolve.
The four chefs presented the lavish spread. Seagull egg fried sandwiches paired with Scottish lobster and crab, garnished with exquisite truffles. Fried spaghetti with sirloin steak, drizzled with a rare caviar sauce.
It was an opulent, extravagant feast.
The rich, fresh scent of milk wafted through the air as it was poured from its carton.
The four men finished serving the meal and quietly exited the room.
Nathaniel's voice broke the silence. "Ms. Montgomery, your breakfast is ready."
No.2
"I'm not eating," Isabella stated firmly. "Nothing you say will change my mind. You should give up now." She needed to maintain her resolve, to force Nathaniel to back down.
Suddenly, a sweet, high-pitched voice echoed from the hallway. "Mommy! Mommy!" Little Oliver came running into the room, his small body wobbling with each step. He leaped directly into Isabella's waiting arms.
Isabella frowned slightly. "Ollie, what are you doing here?"
"Ollie woke up and Daddy was gone," the child explained, his voice trembling. "I heard Daddy was coming to see you, so I came too." His chubby fingers tightened around her sleeve.
His lower lip began to quiver. "Wah... Ollie's so hungry. Haven't eaten all day. My tummy's making noises." He rubbed his stomach dramatically. "Grrr, grrr, grrr."
"Oh, sweetheart, why didn't you eat before leaving?" Isabella scooped him up and carried him to the dining table. "Luckily there's breakfast here."
Oliver clung to her hand desperately. "I want Mommy to eat with me!"
"I'm sorry, baby. Mommy isn't hungry right now." She gently stroked his soft hair. "You'll have to eat by yourself."
He tugged insistently on her hand, pulling her toward the chair. He placed a breakfast setting in front of her and looked up with pleading eyes. "Please, Mommy? Ollie's five years old but never had breakfast with Mommy before. I just want to know what it feels like. Please? Just this once?"
No.3
His round, sparkling eyes gazed up at her hopefully. How could she possibly refuse such a heartfelt request?
"Alright," she relented.
Just like that, Isabella found herself having breakfast with Oliver. Nathaniel watched the scene unfold, a slow smile spreading across his face. His secret weapon had worked perfectly. Now he could move forward with his real plan.
He pulled out his phone, pretending to scroll through messages. Instead, he opened the camera and began taking photos of Isabella from across the room. Her profile was turned toward him, showcasing her exquisite features and stunning figure. Her hair flowed freely in the morning light, creating an aura of effortless beauty. Every casual shot looked like a professional masterpiece. Her beauty was truly captivating.
He experimented with different angles—close-ups, wide shots, various compositions. Within minutes, he had captured nearly a dozen perfect images. Scrolling through the gallery, his eyes filled with admiration and desire.
He immediately sent the photos to Dominic.
[Absolutely flawless. Found perfection.]
Dominic's reply came instantly. [Indeed.]
Suddenly, a hand snatched the phone from his grasp. Nathaniel scowled. "Isabella..."
No.4
How had she moved so quietly? How had he not noticed her approach?
She typed a response to Dominic using his phone.
[No need to return.]
She simultaneously deleted all the photos and cleared the entire gallery.
Nathaniel tried to explain. "Isabella, I'm trying to help you. My company has professional retouchers who can turn this situation around."
"Thank you for your concern," she replied coolly. "But I don't need help turning anything around. You're the esteemed head of the Blackwood family—do you really think I require assistance?"
She handed the phone back to him gently.
Nathaniel's brow furrowed deeply. Her tone suggested she thought him foolish. Given the current internet frenzy surrounding her, how could she not need damage control?
Isabella clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation. She spoke with grave finality. “Take Oliver home. I stayed up far too late last night and desperately need to catch up on sleep.” With that declaration, she moved toward her bedroom.
No.5
As she passed Nathaniel, she paused, unable to resist one more attempt. “Christopher, please be good for me. Look, see these dark circles? I truly need to rest. Will you be a good boy and go home now?”
“Okay! I’ll listen to Mommy!” Oliver’s immediate agreement was unexpected. He even gathered the dishes and headed for the kitchen. “Sleep as long as you need, Mommy. Daddy and I will clean up and then we’ll leave. I promise we won’t disturb you.”
Isabella’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Since when had her son become so remarkably compliant?
Nathaniel was equally perplexed but chose not to question it. He turned to her. “Get some rest. We’ll handle this and then go.” He followed Oliver into the kitchen to help with the washing up.
She watched their retreating figures—one tall and commanding, the other small and earnest. A wave of unexpected, long-forgotten domestic warmth washed over her, emanating from the kitchen. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in five long years.
She entered her room and lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, an unwanted memory from half a decade ago forced its way to the surface.
Five years ago. Alexander Whitmore had invited her to The Grand Monarch, promising a surprise. But the first person she encountered there was Victoria Kensington. After sharing a single glass of wine with her, everything went black.
She awoke later in a bed at The Ritz-Carlton. Her virginity was gone. Alexander was lying beside her. For a long time, she truly believed she had given herself to him that night. She only discovered much later it was all part of Victoria’s vicious trap.
All these years, she had fought hard to bury the memory, to stop herself from dwelling on it. But recently, the resentment toward the unknown man in that bed had grown sharper. If not for him, she would never have been disgraced. Perhaps she wouldn’t feel such deep-seated resistance and wariness toward men’s advances. A man who would take advantage of an unconscious woman was no good man.
No.6
The soft click of the front door closing echoed from the living room. Isabella pulled herself from her dark thoughts. She reached for her phone and sent a swift text to Maxwell. “Dig deeper into what happened five years ago. Leave no stone unturned.”
“Understood.”
Outside, Nathaniel had paid no real attention to Alexander’s earlier words. Once they were clear of Rosewood Manor, he looked down at his son. “Why were you so unusually obedient back there?”
“Daddy, couldn’t you see Mommy was really angry with you?” Oliver replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, you didn’t have a good answer for her. She definitely thinks you’re being stupid. The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. Sometimes, it’s best to just do nothing.”
Nathaniel coughed, slightly affronted. Even his young son could see that Isabella thought him a fool?
Oliver offered more advice. “I think you need to figure out why Mommy released those photos herself. And why she refused your help. Everyone is mocking her now. If you can understand her real reasons and support her properly, you’ll stand out to her.”
Nathaniel carried Oliver to the car. As he drove, he pondered deeply. Isabella’s Guci photo should have been enough to utterly destroy Victoria’s. It should have doubled the sales. No one could have predicted the scandal that erupted instead.
His mind suddenly locked onto a single, crucial word: ‘sales’. His eyes narrowed, a new and chilling understanding dawning.
“That’s it! So this was Isabella’s real plan all along. Isabella Montgomery is truly one of a kind. To win using what looks like a losing strategy… That’s brilliant.”
No.7
Nathaniel pulled his car over to the side of the road. He took out his phone and sent a message.
[I look forward to witnessing your stunning underdog victory the day after tomorrow. When you win, I’ll have a special congratulatory gift prepared just for you.]
Isabella was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone. Her close friends were blowing up her WhatsApp, all trying to help her stage a comeback. A few were still begging her to just drop out of the dangerous game entirely.
Genevieve sent a flood of messages.
[Isabella, have you seen the public opinion online? Do you understand the influence SilverPeak Entertainment holds? Everyone is praising Victoria and tearing your photos to shreds. Your dream of starting your own online business is over before it began.]
[If you sign with SilverPeak, I promise I will make you a bigger star than Victoria Kensington. Furthermore, we can help you resolve this precarious situation you’re in. As for profit sharing, we can negotiate that later. No one else can save you but me!]
Isabella’s red lips curled in disgust. She couldn’t be bothered to reply. “There’s no point engaging with narcissists. The only way to deal with them is to crush them with sheer competence.” The real battle was the day after tomorrow. She would teach them all a lesson. She would show them what true talent and skill actually looked like.
Then, her agent Julian texted her.
[Isabella, what in the world are you thinking? The day after tomorrow is the final day.]