Chapter 575
No.1
If Isabella had forced her, that meant the photos were real. She had been lying to him from the very beginning. Victoria’s face lost all color. Her mind raced, scrambling for an excuse, but… What was left to say?
Isabella interpreted Victoria’s silence as guilt. Her voice remained icy and detached. “Mr. Whitmore, there’s no need for such anger. It’s really quite simple. She attempted to have me killed in a fabricated car accident. I obtained the evidence and used it as leverage. In exchange, I demanded she send me a compromising photograph. Judging by her… provocative pose, you must consider yourself a fortunate man.”
“Stop it! Just stop talking!” Victoria shrieked, her composure shattering.
Isabella had no more patience for their impending drama. She had far more important matters to attend to. Her objective had been to reveal Victoria’s true nature to Alexander. Mission accomplished. “Take all the time you need to sort this out. Just try not to make a scene.” A cold smirk played on her lips as she turned on her heel. Before exiting, she delivered a final blow. “Oh, and one more thing. Mother specifically invited me to stay for lunch today. She mentioned owing me an apology.”
Victoria’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. That was her mother! Hers alone! Why did Isabella insist on stealing everything from her? Yet, she dared not utter another word. She had already lost the trust of so many. She could not afford to lose Alexander’s affection as well.
She desperately latched onto Alexander’s arm, her voice a frantic plea. “Alexander, my love, please, you have to listen to me! Everything I did… I did it all for you! Just to be with you! You know how it’s been since Isabella returned to Westchester. She’s been out for my blood from the very beginning! She was the one who swapped my Meteorite Jade Buddha! She told me herself—she wants to take everything from me! This is all revenge for what happened five years ago!”
“I was terrified! That’s why I thought… if I ended it decisively, it would all be over. But I failed. She threatened me with the evidence! She forced me to send that… that picture! She made me do it! She’s the one tormenting me! How could I not despise her?”
“My plan was to ruin her reputation! To make Nathaniel so disgusted he’d cast her aside! Then you could finally have her! I was doing it all so you could secure her shares and assets faster! So we could be together sooner and live happily ever after! You have to believe me! You have to understand!” Her voice was raw, hoarse with desperation as she begged for his belief.
Alexander stared at her, his gaze clouded with doubt and a chilling distance that had never been there before. “I hear your words, Victoria. But why the deception? Why lie to me repeatedly? I have never once been dishonest with you!”
No.2
“I… Alexander, my darling, I was so scared. Terrified you would hate me. That you’d be repulsed by me… I only ever wanted to support you from the shadows. To present only the best version of myself to you…” She clung to his arm, shaking it gently, her eyes pleading. “Please, Alexander, don’t hate me. Please, don’t…”
Alexander let out a heavy, weary sigh. He gently patted her shoulder, the gesture lacking its usual warmth. “Victoria, you are clearly distraught. You need to rest. I will… visit another day.” With that, he firmly extracted his arm from her grasp and strode away without a backward glance.
Victoria staggered backward as if struck. A sharp gasp escaped her lips. The reality of his rejection hit her like a physical blow.
Had his love for her truly vanished? Did he despise her now? How? Why?! Everyone’s hatred should be directed at Isabella! Why was she the one being shunned? This was all Isabella’s fault! Every bit of it!
She would make her pay. She would make Isabella Montgomery pay dearly for this.
Kneeling alone in the vast, silent prayer hall, her mind churned, weaving new threads of malice and vengeance.
Alexander’s mind kept replaying Victoria’s venomous glare long after he stepped out of the prayer room.
Isabella was ruthless, but she never pretended otherwise. She made no effort to conceal her nature from him.
Victoria, however, had perfected the art of playing the innocent victim. Her true self was hidden behind a mask of fragility.
No.3
She was pure evil.
He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she had tried to kill Isabella in a staged accident. She had even harmed other models in the process.
She let her most loyal agent, Isadora, take the full blame.
The thought made his skin crawl. His image of the sweet, gentle Victoria was shattered forever.
The Montgomery family butler approached him. “Mr. Whitmore,” he said politely. “Would you care to stay for lunch?”
Alexander glanced toward the dining hall. His eyes immediately found Isabella seated beside William.
Her outfit wasn’t particularly flashy today. Yet her powerful, striking presence was impossible to ignore.
For the first time, he looked at her without disgust. He almost found her… compelling.
He adjusted his suit jacket and walked over.
No.4
A maid promptly set a place for him. Eleanor noticed him and spoke in a concerned tone. “You’re here, Alexander? I assume you’ve heard what happened?”
Alexander nodded as he took his seat. The family members exchanged uneasy glances.
Alexander was known as the ‘National Husband’ throughout Westchester. He was the most sought-after bachelor in the city… after the Blackwood men, of course.
The Blackwoods were in a league of their own. Their family’s wealth spanned over a century.
Even if they retired from all business ventures, their assets would still dwarf every other wealthy family in Westchester.
While others scrambled for resources, the Blackwoods never broke a sweat. Everyone wanted to partner with them.
They were the elite among elites. Far beyond the reach of a family like the Montgomerys.
That made Alexander the ideal son-in-law for the Montgomery family. A marriage between them would bring significant benefits to both sides.
Eleanor sighed and tried to smooth things over. “Alexander, please don’t take this to heart. I know Victoria made a mistake, but hasn’t everyone? This is her first serious error since she was a child. I’m sure she’ll learn from it.”
No.5
“Yes,” Penelope agreed quickly. “Victoria is a good girl. She’s always been kind and virtuous. Maybe she just had a momentary lapse… I hope you can overlook it.”
Penelope had to side with Eleanor. Her daughter, Sophia, was confined to the estate. Her husband was useless. If Victoria’s engagement to Alexander fell through, their situation would become even more difficult.
Alexander wanted to forget the whole thing. But once the topic was raised, he couldn’t help recalling Victoria’s sinister expression. It was nothing like the Victoria he thought he knew.
He took a sip of soup. “Don’t worry. I grew up with Victoria. I’ve always seen her as a younger sister. Why would I look down on her?”
The atmosphere at the table shifted immediately. Even William frowned. “A sister? Alexander, are you joking?”
After what happened to Isabella, Alexander had spent most of his time with Victoria. He had proposed to her multiple times. And now he called her a ‘little sister’?
Isabella leaned back in her chair, looking thoroughly amused. ‘This idiot is about to stir the pot again. Where’s my popcorn?’
As predicted, Alexander’s gaze swept toward Isabella before addressing the room. “Everyone here knows Isabella Montgomery was once my fiancée. I’ve loved her since we were children. Had it not been for… certain events, we would already be married.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. “After everything happened, I was lost. Victoria was there for me. I mistook that comfort for love.” His voice grew softer, more intimate. “But seeing Isabella again made me realize the truth. My heart has always belonged to her.” His eyes, full of manufactured tenderness, locked onto Isabella. “This isn’t a sudden decision. I even confessed my true feelings to Victoria weeks ago.”
No.6
He was effectively using Victoria to validate his fabricated narrative.
Isabella nearly scoffed aloud. The audacity of this man, lying with such conviction. He was utterly repulsive.
Before she could interject, William Kensington’s voice cut through the tension. “You proposed to Victoria! You can’t just oscillate between sisters. It’s disrespectful!”
“Grandfather Kensington,” Alexander implored, his expression the picture of solemn sincerity. “You’ve known me my whole life. You know my character. I would never intentionally toy with anyone’s affections. My history with Isabella… our engagement, the tokens we exchanged… it spans fifteen years. From when she was just a child. What I had with Victoria was brief in comparison.” His performance was masterful, dripping with a pain that felt almost real.
Even William, initially furious, seemed momentarily swayed by the emotional display. “So,” he asked, his tone gentler, “you truly hold no regard for the incident five years ago against her?”
Alexander drew himself up, embodying noble forgiveness. “None whatsoever. As Mrs. Kensington said, everyone makes mistakes. Isabella was young. I was immature. It’s in the past.”
William sighed, turning his attention to his granddaughter. “Isabella? What are your thoughts on this?”
He knew of her long-held affection for this man. Her feelings had to be considered.
Eleanor Kensington watched, her emotions conflicted. Both were her daughters, though she favored Victoria. She knew a marriage without genuine love was a hollow cage. “If Isabella can move past it,” she ventured, “perhaps it’s for the best. Given the scandal from before… others might not be so accepting.” She looked directly at Isabella. “Well? You were engaged once. If you’re willing, we can begin preparations immediately.”
No.7
“How very considerate,” Isabella replied, a slight, icy arch to her brow. Her gaze was flat and dismissive as it landed on Alexander. “But no. I don’t go back for trash I’ve already taken out.”
Alexander’s face tightened imperceptibly. She was publicly humiliating him. After he’d offered her this gracious way back in? Now that she was Nathaniel Blackwood’s mistress, she thought she could act with such impunity?
A stunned silence fell over the room. No one had expected such a blunt, brutal rejection from the woman once known for her hopeless devotion.
Penelope Sinclair, whose daughter was still confined because of Isabella, seized the moment to sneer. “Of course. Our Isabella is the Diamond Boss now, swimming in assets. Why would she settle? She certainly has the attitude to match now.”
“Attitude?” Isabella’s retort was sharp and immediate. “Victoria wronged me repeatedly. I possessed evidence I could have handed to the police and the media. I showed restraint.” She let that hang in the air before continuing, her tone shifting to one of mock concern. “My refusal has nothing to do with Alexander himself. It’s out of consideration for Victoria. She is, after all, still my sister. How would it look if I took her discarded fiancé? What would that do to her?”
“Victoria stayed with you for five entire years. She gave you her most precious youth. Just because she made one terrible mistake, you want to come back to me? How do you think that makes her feel?” Isabella spoke with convincing emotion, every word dripping with feigned sincerity.
‘Hypocrisy is a language Victoria understands well. Now that her reputation is in ruins, it’s time to strip her of everything she has left,’ Isabella thought coldly.
As anticipated, the expressions of William, Frederick, and Eleanor shifted instantly. They had always viewed Isabella as ruthless and unfeeling. They never imagined she possessed such empathy.
Alexander grew visibly irritated. How could she twist his intentions like this? He couldn’t tolerate her narrative.