Chapter 486
No.1
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.
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.
No.2
"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.
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.”
No.3
“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.
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!”
No.4
“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.”
“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!”
No.5
“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.”
“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.”
No.6
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.”
“Even when Victoria made mistakes, she never dragged the entire family down like Isabella did.”
“We must devote more attention to Victoria from now on. She’s our only hope.”
“Exactly. Richard nearly died in that fire, and Victoria saved him. Isabella only ever brings destruction.”
The family attorney burst into the room, his face pale.
“Mr. Montgomery, it’s terrible! Something awful has happened!”
Richard glared at him, annoyed. “What could possibly be worse than our current situation?”
The attorney struggled to speak, gasping for air. “It’s Ms. Victoria… She…”
Eleanor leaped up and grabbed his arm. “What about Victoria? Did Isabella harm her?”
“I’ll find Isabella right now! This time, I’ll end her!” Richard stormed toward the door.
The attorney quickly seized his arm. “No! It’s not about Ms. Isabella. Ms. Victoria has disappeared with all the money!”
The room fell into stunned silence.
No.7
Victoria ran off with the money?
The news was too shocking to process.
Eleanor tightened her grip on the attorney’s sleeve. “What are you saying? Explain yourself! How could Victoria do such a thing?”
“Madam, I didn’t want to believe it either. When I reviewed the company’s finances, I discovered a massive transfer of shares. Victoria sold her sixty percent stake to an unknown buyer. And the fifty billion for the Garden Project—plus the fifty billion bank loan—is gone. She took everything.”
Eleanor stumbled backward, nearly collapsing.
Theodore jolted upright in his bed.
Everyone felt as if they’d been struck by lightning.
Victoria sold her shares. She emptied the company accounts. She vanished with the bank’s money.
Just moments ago, they were singing her praises. Now she had robbed them blind.
“No… It can’t be… Victoria would never do this…” Eleanor muttered in disbelief.
The family butler, Reginald, rushed into the room. “Sir, Madam, it’s a disaster! Ms. Victoria took all the valuable items from the estate and sold them. Her phone is disconnected.”
Was she trying to ruin the entire family?