Chapter 912
No.1
The match was decisively over.
Isabella emerged victorious.
Takashi Yamamoto lost spectacularly.
The entire city of Westchester erupted into chaos.
[Oh my god! This is insane! We actually won!]
[Boss defeated Takashi Yamamoto! She beat the top player from Westhaven!]
[Ha! The so-called best in Westhaven just got destroyed!]
[One minute flat! Perfect timing from Boss!]
[I'm completely obsessed with Boss! This is legendary!]
No.2
The gaming chat exploded with frenzied comments.
The victory felt incredibly satisfying.
Takashi Yamamoto slammed his fist on the keyboard. He never imagined anyone could defeat him in just sixty seconds!
He had been lightning fast, dodging every move, yet his opponent moved even quicker. The loss left him stunned and furious.
As hateful comments flooded his screen demanding he change his username, he snarled at his assistant. "Find out who this person is immediately! I want them destroyed!"
"Yes, sir!" The assistant hurried away.
Meanwhile at Rosewood Manor, Lawrence Chamberlain leaped with excitement.
"Absolutely brilliant! You've restored our honor! You finally taught that arrogant Takashi a lesson! Name anything you want, Isabella! I'll get it for you!"
"Really? Anything?" Isabella's voice held a teasing note.
No.3
Lawrence puffed his chest proudly. "Anything at all!"
"Then I want to sleep in peace. Why don't you all head home now?"
The longer they stayed, the more they would pressure her about marriage. Better to send them away before that conversation started.
Lawrence looked utterly baffled. "What? You want to sleep instead of celebrating this huge victory?"
"There's nothing to celebrate. When I have time, I'll train a team for you. They'll help you win every match against Takashi and his crew. You'll need to get used to winning calmly."
Lawrence's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Seriously? You'll actually train a team for me?"
"Yes, I promise." Her voice remained steady and sure.
Thrilled, Lawrence beamed. "Alright then! We'll get out of your hair!"
"Wake up, Lawrence! Don't forget why we came here!" Reginald Thornton glared at his friend.
No.4
Silas Granger nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Did you already forget our main purpose?"
Lawrence suddenly remembered their primary mission: to convince Isabella to marry Frederick Ashford.
That was the whole point of their visit!
He turned back to Isabella. "We'll leave now, but please think carefully about Frederick. He's a wonderful man. When he called last night, he mentioned coming to Westchester to see you."
Alistair Worthington added eagerly, "Frederick is even prepared to buy a house here! He's willing to relocate to Westchester just to be near you!"
Isabella frowned. She had expected this... though she hadn't anticipated such strong interest from Frederick.
A thoughtful glint appeared in her eyes. "Why don't you give me his contact information?"
All four men stared at her in shock. Had they heard correctly? Isabella never asked for anyone's contact details!
She always said, "If there's no future, why lead them on? I don't want to give false hope."
No.5
Yet here she was, asking for Frederick's number. This was definite progress!
The four elders practically tripped over themselves in their excitement. They scrambled to send William's contact information first.
"Add him right now! Start talking to him!"
"Young people need to communicate more these days!"
"It's perfectly fine if you don't know him yet. Relationships need time to develop!"
"Both of you are geniuses! Any child you have would be absolutely brilliant!"
They kept encouraging her, each more eager than the last. It was as if they could already picture the wedding.
Isabella rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Relax, I know what I'm doing. If you don't leave now, I won't be in the mood to plan anything at all."
"Alright, alright! Just remember to contact him."
No.6
"I brought you a new chess strategy book. Look through it when you have a moment." Alistair placed several thick volumes on her desk.
Silas handed her a stack of recent research papers. Reginald unrolled a set of architectural blueprints.
Isabella watched them finally leave and let out a long sigh of relief.
These men had trained her. They had provided her with endless resources over the years. They were the architects of the woman she had become. If only they would stop obsessing over her marital status, everything would be perfect.
The villa fell into a welcome silence after their departure. Isabella sank into the plush sofa and opened her messaging app.
Since the four elders were so insistent, she might as well get this over with. She sent the contact request. Frederick accepted it immediately.
[Isabella, how are you?]
During her time at the research base, everyone had called her by her first name. The habit had stuck.
[I'm fine. I added you because there's something I need to tell you.]
No.7
She wanted to be direct, to state her purpose clearly. But Frederick's next message popped up before she could type it.
[Isabella, could you take a look at this project? We've hit a major snag. The machine just won't function properly. Any idea what could be wrong?]
[I've been troubleshooting for days. I didn't want to bother you, but I'm completely stuck. I have no other choice but to ask for your help.]
His words were polite, infused with a warmth and gentleness that was uniquely his. Even through text, she could feel it.
She had expected a conversation about their supposed relationship. This technical problem was a surprise. Her brow furrowed in concentration.
[There's a problem? Send me the files. Let me see.]
Frederick transferred the documents instantly. Isabella opened them, her focus shifting entirely to the complex data on her screen.
Meanwhile, at the Blackwood Estate…
Oliver tugged relentlessly at Nathaniel's sleeve. "Daddy! Daddy, please take me to Mommy! I want to see Mommy! I want to watch her play the game! Please, take me to her!"