Chapter 238
No.1
It felt like a vise around his throat.
He could feel a pair of sharp, domineering eyes watching from within the building.
A violent shiver ran down his spine.
"Truly, this manor cannot be harmed. Sir, Madam, we must leave. Immediately."
He grabbed Eleanor and Richard's arms, attempting to pull them away.
Eleanor was furious.
"What is inside? Tell me the truth! What trick is she playing?"
"Who pays your salaries? Why are you disobeying our orders? Release us!" Richard demanded.
The guards were too terrified to stop.
They hurriedly increased their pace, forcibly escorting Eleanor and Richard from the property.
If Nathaniel heard their insolence, the entire Montgomery family could vanish overnight.
Eleanor wanted to teach Isabella a lesson.
She never expected her own guards to betray her.
She shot a final, deathly glare toward the balcony.
No.2
"Just you wait, Isabella! This isn't over!"
"You're no longer a Montgomery. Don't you dare set foot in this manor again." Eleanor's voice dripped with venom. "I brought you into this family, which means I own your life. If Benjamin doesn't survive, I'll take everything from you!"
Isabella had built walls against such cruelty, but hearing those words from her own flesh and blood still pierced through her defenses.
Suddenly, a small warm hand slipped into hers. "Don't be sad, Mommy." Oliver's voice was soft yet firm. "Daddy and I will always protect you. We're your real family now."
Her heart clenched at his words. She looked down at the boy standing beside her, his crystal-clear eyes filled with unwavering loyalty.
It was ironic. Those who shared her blood sought to destroy her, while those bound by choice stood as her fortress.
A gentle smile touched her lips. "Mommy's alright, sweetheart. Thank you." She squeezed his hand. "Let's get you to bed."
Nathaniel was ascending the staircase when he saw them. He had expected devastation after that confrontation, but Isabella stood composed, her strength evident in her steady posture.
How much pain had she endured to become this resilient? The thought made his chest tighten with protectiveness.
Isabella's gaze swept over him, noticing the shard of glass embedded in his forearm, blood staining his sleeve.
Her brow furrowed. She immediately retrieved the first-aid kit. "Sit down," she instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Nathaniel took the kit from her. "I can manage. You should rest."
"Be quiet," she countered sharply.
Though no medic, Isabella possessed competent emergency skills. With precise movements, she extracted the glass using tweezers, applying pressure with sterile gauze to stem the bleeding.
No.3
Oliver, observing from the sidelines, understood his cue. He retreated downstairs to give them privacy.
The lower level was chaos. Shattered windows littered the floor with glittering debris. The exterior walls bore ugly scars from the impact.
His small face hardened. How dare they attack his mother! Blood relation meant nothing when they acted like monsters.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed Dominic. "Uncle Dominic, I need two snakes. Put them in those horrible people's car before they leave."
The reptiles would deliver a fitting scare without traceable evidence. Mommy would never suspect a thing.
Dominic approved the plan immediately, moving to execute it. Shortly after, Maxwell arrived with a repair crew. He had been monitoring the property from the shadows but held back upon recognizing Eleanor and Richard. He understood Isabella's deliberate pacing around the situation.
Even with Victoria's reputation in tatters, the Montgomerys still favored her. They discarded their true daughter for a malicious imposter. Fools.
Maxwell eagerly anticipated their eventual reckoning when the truth finally emerged.
Upstairs, Isabella finished dressing Nathaniel's wound, discarding bloodied gauze into the bin. The sight was gruesome.
"You shouldn't have intervened," she murmured, avoiding his gaze.
"I'm your real boyfriend. Protecting you is my responsibility." He emphasized the title, his voice low.
Isabella felt heat rise to her cheeks. She had said that in the heat of the moment to defy her parents. Why was he latching onto it?
Now wasn't the time for this discussion. "I'm exhausted. I need to rest before dealing with tonight's matters." She stood to leave.
Nathaniel's eyebrow quirked. She didn't correct him... Did that mean she accepted it? His hand shot out, capturing her wrist before she could retreat.
No.4
Isabella was yanked back by Nathaniel’s firm grip, halting her exit.
She turned to face him, her expression cool.
“What is it?”
Nathaniel’s gaze locked onto hers.
“Say the word, Isabella, and I’ll handle everything for you.”
Whether it was Victoria or the entire Montgomery clan.
Why should she endure their daily accusations?
A faint smile touched her crimson lips as she freed her arm.
“No need. I can manage my own affairs.”
“It will all be over soon.”
The more they despised her, the more thrilling tonight would become.
Her dark eyes shimmered with anticipation and dark amusement.
Isabella slept soundly through the night while the Montgomerys descended into chaos.
Theodore Montgomery exhausted his top connections searching for specialists.
No.5
Every expert reported the same grim news: reviving Benjamin was impossible.
The family was crushed.
Joey and Richard were tormented by nightmares of giant snakes coiling around them in their car.
They worked tirelessly into the late evening, yet received no hopeful updates.
Lily, Felix, Sophia, along with distant relatives and close friends, crowded the hospital room.
Theodore believed more visitors might stimulate Benjamin’s awakening.
He remained unaware that Isabella had been disowned and her shares seized.
Sophia, recently released from detention, sneered at Benjamin’s unconscious form.
“This is Isabella’s evil work! She framed me, then Victoria, and now she’s harmed Benjamin!”
“She’s plotting to seize the entire Montgomery fortune! How vile!”
“Eleanor never should have brought that witch into our home.”
“She’s ruined everything and got our Sophia imprisoned!” Lily complained bitterly.
The room erupted into accusations against Isabella.
A soft voice spoke up timidly, “We can’t blame Isabella for what happened to Sophia.”
No.6
“Sophia harmed her first…”
“Silence!” Sophia glared furiously at the young woman.
“How dare you defend Isabella now? Do you want to end up in a hospital bed too?”
The speaker was Lillian Montgomery, Theodore’s brother’s granddaughter.
A twenty-year-old music student, she lowered her head and fell silent under Sophia’s wrath.
From the crowd, Adrian scoffed.
“No one knows if Isabella actually harmed Benjamin.”
“Don’t be too surprised when the truth emerges.”
“Who else could it be? She benefits the most if something happens to Benjamin!”
“She wants the Montgomery assets! You work for her—get out of this room!”
“Don’t upset Benjamin!” Sophia shouted.
The ward descended into noisy arguments.
Theodore stared at Benjamin’s still form, his heart aching with panic and grief.
“Oh, Benjamin, what happened? Wake up and tell us the truth.”
No.7
“Everyone is condemning Isabella. If she’s innocent, do you want her blamed?”
Seeing Theodore’s silence, the family grew louder.
Some took out their phones to tweet:
[You’re too young to leave us! Wake up! We’ve avenged you—wake up and confront her!]
Nearly every Montgomery retweeted the post, further destroying Isabella’s reputation.
#MontgomerysHarmed trended as the hottest topic online.
The entire family despised their ungrateful adopted daughter.
Amid the chaos, Lillian asked again, “By the way, where’s Victoria? Why hasn’t she come today?”
Eleanor’s voice dripped with admiration. “Victoria is working tirelessly. She’s determined to find the finest doctor in the world for Benjamin.”
After all, Victoria was her true daughter. Her real flesh and blood.
Everyone in the hospital room sighed in agreement.
“They were both raised in the Montgomery family, yet Victoria is flawless while Isabella is lower than dirt.”