Chapter 761
No.1
Only Nathaniel understood. He recognized the cutting-edge 3D holographic imaging. It projected hyper-realistic, three-dimensional illusions into space.
Very few corporations had access to this technology. How did an adopted woman like Isabella command it so flawlessly?
Alexander and his associates stared, utterly confounded. They had been desperately trying to acquire this exact patent from major tech firms. And here she was, wielding it for a fashion show? And with such devastating effect.
Alexander’s face darkened. Was this captivating, breathtaking vision really the same plain, unattractive Isabella Montgomery he’d discarded?
Julian Hawthorne, backstage controlling the projection, froze. His heart lurched into his throat as her balance faltered.
In the private booth, Nathaniel instinctively shoved Oliver aside, his body coiling to spring into action. The distance was too great. He’d never make it in time.
A collective gasp ripped through the magical atmosphere. Every spectator held their breath.
Would she fall?
Sophia, her jealousy momentarily forgotten, felt a vicious thrill.
No.2
‘Finally! The humiliation!’ she crowed internally. A fall here, in front of everyone, would end Isabella’s pathetic career before it began.
All watched, hearts lodged in throats, as her body tilted irrevocably toward the ground. Just as she was about to crash…
Isabella spun with liquid grace, the silk cape whipping upward in a fluid arc.
The fabric hung suspended for a heartbeat, a shimmering ribbon against the dark.
Then, with a sharp tug, she used its momentum to swing her body clear of the stage.
She soared.
The silk became her wings, carrying her in a lazy, hypnotic circle above the gasping crowd.
The cape billowed like a stormy sea beneath her.
A thousand fireflies swirled, a constellation of living stars framing her flight.
No.3
She was a phantom, a creature of myth stepped out of a forgotten tale.
Breathtaking. Otherworldly.
She moved with the effortless elegance of smoke, a goddess smiling down at her captivated subjects.
In one seamless motion, she hooked her legs mid-swing.
She reached down and slipped off her heels. “Who wants them?”
Her voice, a low purr, wrapped around the audience.
The reaction was instantaneous.
A tidal wave of people surged to their feet.
“Me! Over here!”
No.4
Oliver bounced on his toes, tiny voice lost in the roar. “Mommy! Give them to Daddy!”
A knowing smirk touched Isabella’s lips.
She tied the shoes to the end of the cape and flung them into the crowd.
Chaos erupted.
A scrum of bodies fought for the prize, a frenzy of grasping hands.
“I had them first!”
“Get off! They’re mine!”
Maxwell and his team moved with lethal precision, diving into the fray.
Their boss’s property would not be claimed by some stranger.
No.5
A pair of discarded shoes had set the room on fire.
Isabella watched the madness she’d created, a sorceress pleased with her spell.
She descended, landing softly on the runway with the cape pooled around her bare feet.
She turned, utterly unbothered, and walked toward the shadows backstage.
Barefoot, she commanded the stage.
Her long legs, her statuesque height, the dress clinging like a second skin.
She was a vision from an ancient scroll, timeless and untouchable.
Every eye followed her retreat, hypnotized by the sway of her hips, the line of her back.
The moment she disappeared, the fireflies winked out of existence.
No.6
Darkness swallowed the hall once more.
Silence held for three full seconds.
Then, the explosion.
The crowd swarmed Theodore Montgomery, chanting her name. “Isabella Montgomery! Encore! Encore!”
Nathaniel’s gaze narrowed at the mob surrounding the old man.
He glanced at Sebastian. “Handle it.”
Sebastian, still dazed, snapped to attention. “No one touches my future sister-in-law.” He sprang into action.
A smirk of pure possession curled Nathaniel’s mouth.
He took his son’s hand. “Let’s go.”
No.7
“Where, Daddy?” Oliver asked, confused.
“To find your mother.”
Backstage, models flocked around Isabella, their voices a chorus of awe.
Her dress was a masterpiece, something from a luxury house’s vault.
Her recovery from disaster, her transformation of it into magic, was legendary.
Isabella Montgomery was a star, born tonight.
Sophia Kensington burned with a jealousy so sharp it tasted like metal.
Her fists were clenched so tight her nails bit into her palms.