Chapter 757
No.1
[OMG! Is this woman insane? Alexander is perfection! How dare she!]
[No wonder she was disowned. Absolute trash!]
[Too cowardly to accept the challenge? Stop using my future husband for clout!]
[Someone needs to teach her a lesson! I volunteer!]
The hate flooded her mentions, a torrent of vicious comments.
Isabella remained completely unbothered. Their words meant nothing to her. Her phone rang. She answered to hear Harrison Winslow breathing heavily. “Boss! Are you seeing the attacks online?” he gasped.
“Mhmm,” was her simple, uninterested reply.
Harrison was shocked. Who would be stupid enough to come for her? In the last five years, no one had dared cross Isabella Montgomery!
Well, except for Julian, who sometimes had a death wish.
“Boss, should I get on a plane? I can handle this!”
No.2
“Unnecessary. Focus on your job. If quarterly profits aren’t up by ten percent, don’t even think about your bonus.” She ended the call without another word.
Harrison was left speechless, a mix of concern and regret washing over him. He shouldn't have called.
Seeing she was off the phone, Julian seized the moment. “The public here prefers humble celebrities. A low profile is advisable. They won’t react well if they discover your true identity, or the power you wield.”
“Relax. I know exactly what I’m doing,” she assured him, already scrolling through her phone again. A thought struck her. She logged back into her social media and posted a new challenge.
[Challenge accepted. If I lose, I pay you ten billion. But if I win, I don’t want your money. I want a live stream of you eating sh*t. Do we have a deal?]
She attached two more photos of her middle finger for emphasis.
Julian could only stare in disbelief. This is her idea of keeping a low profile? When will she ever learn? He sighed, a strange mix of annoyance and amusement twisting inside him.
On the other end, Alexander’s face contorted with rage. How dare she speak to him with such arrogance? This was the same woman who used to follow him around like a pathetic puppy! Fuming, his fingers flew to type a retort, but Victoria stopped him.
“Alexander, darling, don’t be rash. She would not be this confident without a reason. What if she actually wins—”
“Win? Her?” he spat, a cruel laugh escaping him. “I knew her for eighteen years. She was vulgar, talentless, and utterly worthless. Five years abroad doesn’t change that. She’s a paper tiger. Walking a runway requires real skill, confidence, experience. The entire world will be watching, judging her every move. There is no way she can win them all.”
No.3
His fingers typed out his reply with furious certainty.
[You’re on. I hope you have ten billion ready!]
He was absolutely convinced of her failure.
Isabella let out a cold laugh at Alexander’s response and quickly typed back.
[Someone should decide if they prefer human or cow excrement. Or perhaps pick up stray dog shit off the street?]
Neither side was backing down. A bet worth a century’s fortune had just been made. Fans on Twitter erupted into chaos. A live stream of someone actually eating feces versus ten billion dollars in cash—what could be more insane? Everyone was buzzing with anticipation for Chanel’s show the next day.
Isabella remained perfectly calm. She tossed her phone aside and turned to Julian. “Be ready for tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you.” With that, Julian turned and left.
He was only her agent, after all. He wouldn’t be staying at her manor. Isabella locked the door behind him and went to bed early.
Victoria, however, wasn’t so relaxed.
No.4
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Something felt off. Isabella had returned as a completely different person. It was shocking that she could afford the black-green meteorite. As Alexander’s lover, it would be humiliating if he lost the bet.
An idea suddenly sparked in her mind. She got out of bed and knocked on Sophia’s door.
The door opened, revealing Sophia’s confused expression. “Victoria, you’re still awake?”
“Mhm… I can’t stop thinking about Isabella. I’m worried about you,” Victoria sighed.
Sophia frowned. “Worried about me? Why?”
“Oh, Sophia… You saw what Isabella posted online. She’s building an image of being ‘bold and arrogant,’ just like you. And she’s being even more flashy about it.” Victoria paused. “If she dazzles everyone at the show tomorrow night, she might just replace you.”
“Replace me? Is she even capable?” Sophia retorted mockingly, eyeing Victoria. “Victoria, have you lost your mind? I’ve been in this industry for five years. I may not be as popular as you, but I’m one of the country’s top ten supermodels. She’s a nobody. How could she possibly replace me?”
Victoria gripped her hand tightly. “Sophia, the fact that Chanel signed her today proves she has talent. Haven’t you noticed how different she is now? Don’t underestimate her.”
Sophia recalled Isabella’s striking presence on stage. Her face was mesmerizing. Any woman would envy her beauty. Those long, perfectly sculpted legs.
A sudden sense of danger prickled under Sophia’s skin. “Don’t worry. I’ll give it my all. I’ll practice my runway walk right now.”
No.5
“One more thing, Sophia: take care of yourself. Isabella has already targeted me twice since she returned. I’m afraid she might come after you, too. Be careful,” Victoria warned softly. “But these are just my suspicions. Isabella is still family. Be kind to her. Don’t make things worse.”
As Victoria disappeared from view, Sophia’s expression darkened. Harm her? Replace her? Over her dead body.
She pulled out her phone and made a call.
…
By 8 a.m. the next day, the entire internet was buzzing about Chanel’s live stream. Isabella woke up early to prepare. But as she was about to leave, she found the door jammed. She tried the knob repeatedly. It was locked from the outside.
She was almost impressed. Someone had the audacity to pull such a childish, low-level stunt right under her nose. Fine. She’d play along.
A cold smirk curled her lips. Instead of forcing the door, she turned back inside.
A woman stood guard by the door, her eyes fixed intently. She smirked in satisfaction when the doorknob finally ceased its movement. Confident, she pulled out her phone to report. “Miss Sophia, the plan is proceeding perfectly. Isabella is securely trapped inside.”
“Excellent. Maintain your watch. Ensure she remains confined,” Sophia Kensington replied, her voice dripping with sly approval.
After ending the call, the woman settled into her chair, crossing her legs with a sense of accomplishment.
No.6
‘Isabella believes she can use the Chanel show to elevate her status and overshadow Victoria? How delusional. She’s now imprisoned in her own home,’ Sophia thought, smugly convinced that Isabella’s ambitions would crumble.
Isabella had audaciously accepted a wager against Alexander. If she failed to even leave her residence, her humiliation would be absolute.
Sophia chuckled darkly to herself. The image of Isabella becoming a laughingstock online was immensely gratifying.
Her private celebration was abruptly interrupted. A new contact request appeared on WhatsApp from the Montgomery family group. The profile was a stark black image, the username simply ‘Boss Montgomery’.
Who was this? Some relative? Cautiously, Sophia accepted the request. Before she could type a question, a voice message arrived.
[Miss Sophia, everything is going as planned. Isabella can’t get out.]
[Good work. Keep watching, and make sure she doesn’t come out.]
It was the exact recording of her call with her assistant!
Her phone buzzed again with a text from ‘Boss Montgomery’. [Sophia Kensington. Order your assistant to unlock my door immediately. Fail to comply, and I will release this recording publicly. You will share Victoria Kensington’s fate.]
Sophia’s face drained of color. So, ‘Boss Montgomery’ was Isabella Montgomery.
No.7
Her fingers flew across the screen in rage. [Isabella! How did you obtain this recording? Are you spying on me? This is illegal!]
A swift reply followed.
[So is unlawfully confining someone. This constitutes the crime of false imprisonment. Under Criminal Law, Article 238, it carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment, criminal detention, or deprivation of political rights!]
Sophia paled further. Was Isabella seriously threatening her with legal statutes? The repercussions of the recording going viral would be catastrophic. Her reputation would be destroyed.