Chapter 830
No.1
The reminder intensified Victoria's fury.
Her knees still ached from yesterday's prolonged kneeling.
She had faked tears, begged forgiveness, even feigned exhaustion—all to salvage her reputation.
Every performance was calculated to maintain her status.
Get another one. Now.
Victoria's tone left no room for argument.
But the nearest patisserie is seven kilometers—
A glacial stare cut her off.
Penelope wiped cold sweat from her brow and scrambled from the car.
Veronica, close the door!
Victoria's command echoed in the empty vehicle.
Then she remembered.
No.2
Veronica was gone.
The memory surfaced abruptly—her eighth birthday, when Veronica revealed she wasn't a biological Montgomery.
The truth had devastated her initially.
But Veronica's timing was strategic; early exposure prevented greater scandal later.
Without that warning, she might have been disinherited without a cent.
Everything she built would have crumbled.
Over the years, Veronica helped her manipulate Isabella, securing her place in the family.
Veronica understood her like a mother—patient with her temper, accepting her flaws.
With Veronica, she could drop the perfect facade and simply exist.
Now imprisoned, Veronica was beyond reach.
Victoria was truly alone, with no one to trust or confide in.
Isabella. This is all your fault.
No.3
Her venomous gaze locked onto the distant figure.
The burning hatred crystallized into a single focus.
She would destroy Isabella Montgomery, no matter the cost.
The afternoon sun made her eyelids heavy.
Isabella decided to rest after the film crew departed.
She had checked into The Ritz-Carlton with a purpose—to uncover the truth about that night.
Five years ago, her plan was straightforward.
She intended to have Victoria imprisoned for poisoning them, letting the authorities handle it.
She believed Victoria would confess to avoid public disgrace and total ruin.
But things spiraled out of control.
Gabriella’s unexpected loyalty shocked her.
Gabriella took full responsibility for Victoria’s crimes.
No.4
Now, Victoria would never confess to save Gabriella.
Isabella knew only one man could prove her innocence.
Victoria must have hidden him well.
She needed to find him through her own means.
Someone at this hotel five years ago must know his identity.
“Sister…” a soft voice called from behind.
Isabella turned to see Victoria in a white dress.
She ignored her, but Victoria approached anyway.
“It was all my fault back then,” Victoria said, feigning remorse. “I must have been insane. Or truly evil. I’m here to apologize. Look, I brought your childhood favorite—matcha cake.”
A cold shiver ran down Isabella’s spine.
Her favorite had always been strawberry cake.
Not matcha.
No.5
When they were children, their birthdays featured two cakes.
One was always matcha-flavored.
Made from expensive, finely ground green tea leaves.
Each slice cost a fortune.
Victoria, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, always shared it with Isabella.
She did it to earn praise for her generosity.
If Isabella refused, she was called ungrateful.
As the adopted daughter, she had no voice.
She learned to accept it.
So everyone believed she loved matcha cake.
Victoria had stolen her voice since childhood.
“You think this cake makes up for everything?” Isabella’s voice was icy.
No.6
“It’s from Yukkuri. Their matcha cake is famous. Please, try it…” Victoria said sweetly.
Isabella laughed, a sharp, mocking sound.
“Really, Victoria? You apologize with a cake? Is that all you’re worth?”
Victoria stiffened, caught off guard.
She wanted to scream, but she held back.
She glanced subtly toward Penelope, who was hiding nearby.
“I’m sorry, sister. I just want to make things right. It’s not about the price. Please accept my apology. You must be tired. Here, have some.”
As she offered the cake, Victoria tried to flick pollen from her hand onto Isabella.
Tulip pollen.
The memory hit her like a physical blow.
Five years ago, she had woken in a room overflowing with tulips. That first spring, they had seemed beautiful. She had believed they represented life's greatest joys. Winter revealed the cruel truth, on the very day her engagement was supposed to happen.
Since that moment, tulips became her enemy. Victoria knew this.
No.7
‘She planned this deliberately. She wants to sabotage the photoshoot.’ Isabella’s mind raced, connecting the dots.
Thud! The cake crashed onto the floor. Victoria stumbled backward, feigning a clumsy dodge.
Her eyes locked with Isabella’s, gleaming with malicious triumph. “Ah!”
A sharp shriek tore from her lips as she tumbled into the pond.
“Help! Somebody help me!” Victoria flailed dramatically in the water. Instantly, every eye turned toward the commotion.
“Isabella, this is too far!” Eleanor’s voice cut through the chaos.
“Someone save Victoria! Now!” Eleanor screamed, her panic seeming genuine.
People scrambled. Phones were pulled out. Others searched for something, anything, to use as a rescue tool. Pure bedlam erupted.
Sunlight danced on the water’s surface, cruelly highlighting Victoria’s feigned vulnerability.
A lifeguard finally pulled her out. She shivered violently. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Her face was a mask of pale fragility.