Chapter 302
No.1
From a distance, a low voice carried over. "Hmph. She was trying on gowns way too early. Did she really think she'd win this year's prize? Someone finally put her in her place!"
Rage consumed Victoria. Her palms curled into tight fists. Her jaw clenched so hard it ached. Those disloyal social climbers always flocked to the next big thing. She would make them pay one day.
A boutique assistant approached timidly. "Miss Kensington, are you purchasing the gown? Store policy states that even VIPs cannot try on a gown for more than five minutes..."
Victoria's face darkened like a storm cloud. Even this lowly shop girl dared to disrespect her! In the past, she would try on gowns for over ten minutes without a word. The audacity! Isadora saw Victoria's fury and feared she might collapse.
"We'll take it!" Isadora declared to the assistant. "Of course she's buying it! Here's my card. Please give us some privacy." She handed over her card and quickly guided Victoria into a private fitting room.
Once inside, Victoria's composure shattered. She grabbed the nearest object and hurled it across the room. "That witch, Isabella! How dare she! How could she be so vile! How could she defeat me!" she screamed.
'The winner should have been me,' Victoria seethed internally. 'Everyone's admiration should be mine!' If her plan had succeeded, the Guci launch would have been a triumph. The 'Most Valuable Commercial Model Award' would have been hers. Now, everything was ruined.
Isadora watched the meltdown with deep distress. "Victoria, I never expected Isabella to pull such a stunt. I know you're furious. Let it all out. Once you're done, we need to find a solution."
"A solution?" Victoria spat with bitter defeat. "What solution? Have you seen what the netizens are saying? They're all laughing at me! Can't you see how Isabella is overshadowing me completely?" She roughly tossed Isadora's phone back to her.
Isadora didn't have time to react. The phone struck the back of her hand with a sharp thud. Pain shot through her, but she felt no anger. Only profound sorrow filled her heart. The more she saw Victoria suffer, the worse she felt.
She picked up her phone and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around a trembling Victoria. "Tori, if you need to cry, then cry. You don't have to hold back with me. If you need to hit me or scream at me, do it. This is my fault as your manager. I failed you."
“I gave your mother my word that I would protect you, yet I…” Isadora’s voice broke, thick with emotion.
Victoria stared at the angry red mark on her hand before lifting her gaze. Her agent, always so composed, now had tears welling in her eyes. Victoria’s composure shattered. She slid to the floor, a graceless collapse.
“Isadora, I never meant to lash out. I’m just… terrified. I know my place in the Montgomery family is temporary. I needed to build my own career, my own security, before they cast me aside. I wanted to earn my own fortune. Why is Isabella so determined to ruin me? She has everything! The Montgomery empire, more wealth than she could ever spend, even Nathaniel Blackwood himself. Why can’t she just leave me alone? She won’t be happy until I’m completely destroyed!” The words spilled out, venomous and raw with a pain that cut deep.
Isadora sank down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Victoria, not everyone possesses a heart like yours. Isabella targeted you from the beginning. This was a calculated move. We didn’t lose to her; we simply underestimated her ruthlessness. Promise me you’ll pull yourself together. Go home. Rest. I will find another way. I promise you.”
Victoria could only nod, her body wracked with sobs. She leaned heavily against the cold wall, utterly defeated. The situation was dire. The humiliation would follow her for years. The mocking whispers were already beginning.
Watching her, Isadora’s heart ached. “Should I call Alexander? His company might distract you.”
At the mention of Alexander Whitmore, a flicker of life returned to Victoria’s eyes. Over the past few days, he’d been feeding her stories about Isabella’s attempts to seduce Nathaniel. But the news of their actual marriage was a blow she still couldn’t process. Nathaniel Blackwood would never marry a woman with a tarnished past, a woman who had supposedly lost a child.
Aside from the Blackwoods, Alexander was the most handsome, powerful man she knew. The nation’s most coveted bachelor. Securing him would be her ultimate victory over Isabella.
She gave a weak nod. “Yes. Let him come. There are things we need to discuss.”
“Alright.” Isadora made the call, then helped Victoria to her feet. She gently cleaned her smudged makeup and reapplied it with practiced hands.
Victoria glanced again at her injured hand, regret washing over her. “Isadora… I’m sorry. I lost control.”
No.2
“It’s alright, dear. No apologies needed. I made a vow to your mother. I owe her everything. Without Evangeline, I wouldn’t be here today.” Isadora’s gaze was filled with unwavering devotion.
Years ago, a young and naive Isadora had been brutally attacked and left for dead in a gutter. It was Evangeline Kensington, Victoria’s mother, who found her, saved her, and became her protector. Even later, Evangeline continued to be her guardian angel.
The last message Isadora ever received from her was clear. [I’ve never asked you for anything. Please, watch over my daughter.]
Isadora had dedicated her life to that promise. Victoria was her daughter in all but blood. Her success was Isadora’s success. Her pain was Isadora’s pain. No one would harm her.
“Remember your greatest asset is that beautiful face. When Alexander arrives, don’t let him see you broken. Hold onto him. He is your safety net. At the very least, you will become Mrs. Alexander Whitmore, a respected name in high society.”
“I won’t fail. Besides, Alexander has a plan. A way to destroy Isabella completely, beyond any recovery.” Victoria’s expression turned serious, determined. “Leave Alexander to me. You focus on Isabella. Watch her every move. We need to find the perfect moment to strike back. This time, we leave no trace. No evidence.”
“Understood.”
Outside, the summer sky had darkened. Thick, ominous clouds rolled in, and the wind began to howl. A storm was coming.
Victoria had barely been gone for five minutes when Alexander showed up.
The moment she spotted him, Tiffany rushed into his arms with theatrical distress.
“Alexander… I failed you,” she sobbed into his chest.
“I lost to my sister. I’m so ashamed.”
He gently wiped her tears away.
“Don’t cry, my love. This isn’t about me—it’s about you. You’re the one who’s hurting.”
She continued to weep, leaning heavily against him.
“I’m useless. Isabella is the talented one. She beat me fairly.
But the worse part is… the more she succeeds, the more Nathaniel will want her.
It breaks my heart for you.”
She looked up, eyes glistening with manufactured concern.
“She used to adore you, but now… I doubt she even remembers your name.
Now that she’s won, Nathaniel will be all over her.
What if she hands her diamond mines to him?
No.3
You’ve known her since childhood, Alexander…
But you can’t compete with a man like Nathaniel Blackwood.”
Alexander’s expression hardened.
Isabella had not only survived the scandal—she’d turned it into a triumph.
Everyone was stunned.
Nathaniel would only want her more now.
And Isabella… she no longer needed Alexander.
She’d outgrown him.
He pulled Victoria closer, voice low and reassuring.
“Don’t worry about any of that.
Take a few days off.
Rest.
Stay off the internet.
I’ll handle Isabella.
Remember… I still have that card to play.
And I’m ready to use it when the time is right.”
“What card?” she asked, feigning confusion.
“Is it enough to… ruin her?”
“It’s a trap she set for herself these past few days while coming after you.
Don’t give her another thought,” he murmured, holding her tighter.
Victoria melted into his embrace, playing the fragile, broken bird.
But behind the helpless act, her mind was sharp, calculating.
No.4
Whatever Alexander had… it had better destroy Isabella completely.
She didn’t need to lift a finger—not when Alexander was willing to do it for her.
He felt her tremble in his arms and his heart clenched.
How could he not love someone who always put him first?
He would find a way to strip Isabella of everything she’d gained.
Victoria deserved to feel safe.
She deserved to win.
Outside, lightning split the sky.
Thunder boomed.
Rain began to pour, hammering against the windows.
The bright afternoon had vanished behind a wall of storm.
At Violet Villa, the doorbell rang.
Isabella looked through the peephole.
Nathaniel stood there, umbrella in hand, little Oliver clinging to his leg.
Even with protection, both were damp from the downpour.
She hadn’t planned on letting them back into her life.
But she couldn’t leave them standing in the storm.
She opened the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“We came to celebrate, Mommy!” Oliver chirped, wobbling under the weight of a large gift bag.
Nathaniel stepped inside, closing the umbrella.
He carried two bottles of expensive red wine.
No.5
“Celebrate what?” she asked, arching a brow.
“Your victory,” Nathaniel said smoothly.
“Turning the tables on Victoria… that was impressive.
It calls for a celebration.”
She hadn’t expected this.
“It’s really not that big of a deal.
I’ve beaten plenty of people before.
I’ll beat plenty more.”
Nathaniel almost smiled at her confidence.
“Then let’s just have a simple barbecue.
No occasion needed.”
He moved toward the kitchen, unpacking the bag with practiced elegance.
Prime cuts of wagyu beef.
Fresh Argentine lobster.
Herbs, truffles, delicate sauces.
Everything was pre-prepped in polished containers, ready for the grill.
Isabella stared.
This was his idea of a simple barbecue?
The spread before her was worth a fortune.
Even for someone like her, it felt… excessive.
Living alone meant minimal cooking for her.
Instant noodles became her default meal solution.
No.6
She had even perfected a self-heating boxed meal technique...
Nathaniel noticed her stillness and approached.
He gently tugged her hand and urged, "Mommy, let's eat now."
His voice carried excitement as he continued, "Barbecue tastes amazing during rainfall. Everything's incredibly tasty."
With determined pulls, he guided her toward the dining area.
Isabella glimpsed the torrential downpour through the window.
Reluctantly, she abandoned her plan to eject them.
She settled at the table opposite Nathaniel.
He expertly grilled pork belly with practiced movements.
Tongs flipped sizzling meat with precise timing.
He brushed oil lightly before seasoning with salt, pepper, and cumin.
The aroma of perfectly charred meat soon permeated the air.
Isabella's brow furrowed in suspicion.
How did someone previously clueless in kitchens master grilling so flawlessly?
Her eyes caught a prominent burn blister on his forearm.
Fresh and angry-looking.
"Did you take cooking lessons just for this?" she questioned.
"Indeed," Nathaniel confirmed elegantly.
He wrapped a perfectly cooked pork slice in fresh lettuce.
His hands presented the neat bundle to her lips. "Try this."
His gaze held tender concern that felt uncomfortably intimate.
Such husband-wife dynamics felt misplaced between near-strangers...
No.7
She blinked away the thought. "I can serve myself."
She selected raw meat to grill independently.
Disappointment flickered in Nathaniel's eyes briefly.
He maintained his outstretched hand steadily.
His voice dropped to a magnetic murmur. "Ms. Montgomery, consider my injury."
"Won't you humor me just this once?"
The velvety baritone weakened her resistance inexplicably.
Against better judgment, she acquiesced.
A subtle smile touched his lips.
He brought the lettuce wrap closer to her mouth.
Her lower lip accidentally grazed his fingertips during the bite.
Electric stillness seized both instantly.
A peculiar sensation radiated through their bodies.
Isabella frowned like witnessing supernatural phenomena.
Had she developed cardiac issues recently?
A comprehensive medical checkup seemed urgently necessary!
Nathaniel's smile deepened intriguingly.
He ate another grilled piece himself.
Then he deliberately sucked his fingertips while maintaining eye contact.
"Mmm, exceptionally flavorful," he declared meaningfully.
Isabella's cheeks flushed crimson immediately.
Was he praising the meat's taste or... something else entirely?