What embarrassed him was that he was now financially strapped and couldn’t possibly come up with ten billion. What enraged him was how thoroughly Theo had manipulated Isabella. "Idiot," Nathan muttered through gritted teeth. Isabella remained unfazed. "Nathan, if you’re afraid of being dragged down by me, then just divorce me." "Isabella, between us, there’s only widowing, no divorce." Once in her bedroom, Isabella took out the precious *City of Cycles*, watching the light shimmer and shift across its surface. But as she gazed at it, a deep sadness began to fill her eyes. "Mom, I know I don’t have much time left. I overheard your conversation with the doctor." Tears welled in her eyes as she choked on her words. "Mom, I know you’re heartbroken, you can’t bear to let me go. But I’ll have to leave you soon." She clutched the lock, her tears falling freely. "I’ve always worn this lock, and now I want to give it to you. Let it stay with you, to keep you company." Her sobs
"Isabella, look at yourself. Where is the dignity and grace of a Mrs. Hill?" "You have neither the refined appearance to uphold my image nor the intelligence to manage my business. Every day, you just stir up trouble... I must have been cursed for eight generations to end up marrying you." Nathan’s eyes were bloodshot as he yelled, like a trapped beast. Isabella gradually regained her composure. She slowly stood up from the cold floor, her face pale. But beneath her calm exterior, turmoil churned inside her. She had once thought that Nathan’s indifference was just because he didn’t love her. But now, she realized—it wasn’t just that he didn’t love her. He despised her. "Nathan, so you’ve finally shown your true, hypocritical face. All that talk about repaying me, about being responsible for me for life— it was all a lie. You just wanted to build an image of being loyal and righteous in front of others." Isabella suddenly let out a weak laugh. "Heh, I really was a fool
Nathan and Victoria’s faces flashed with panic. Victoria quickly explained, "Don’t misunderstand. Nothing happened between Nathan and me. We were just talking." "At this time of night, alone together in a room, and you're just talking?" Isabella pressed the shutter button on her phone. Both Victoria and Nathan saw only disdain on Isabella’s face, no jealousy or anger like they had expected. They were both stunned. After all, the old Isabella would have thrown a tantrum if she saw Nathan with another woman. Nathan was lost in thought. Victoria, however, quickly snapped back to reality and reached for the phone. "Isabella, who gave you permission to take pictures? Delete the photo." Her movement was swift, and Isabella, worried she might get hurt, obediently handed the phone over. Anyway, she had already quickly sent the photo to Ava. Victoria took the phone and deleted the photo, letting out a sigh of relief. Isabella crossed her arms and gave Victoria a half-smile,
Victoria, her face cold, scolded Isabella: "Bella, how can you insult Nathan like that? Apologize to him now!" Isabella’s gentle eyes suddenly flared with intense hostility. Then, before anyone could react, a sharp sound rang through the air. The next moment, Victoria’s scream filled the room, "Ah!" Isabella had almost used all her strength to slap Victoria across the face. Glaring at her, she spat out in hatred, "Victoria, who do you think you are? You think you have the right to control me?" Victoria immediately threw herself into Nathan’s arms, crying loudly. "Nathan, I just wanted to educate my sister. I didn’t expect her to misunderstand me so deeply." Isabella was speechless. She turned to leave, but suddenly, Nathan grabbed her wrist tightly. "Isabella, apologize to your sister." Isabella looked at him as if he were an idiot. "If your eyes are useless, maybe you should donate them. Didn’t you see she deserved to be slapped?" Nathan’s voice hardened. "She’s yo
Nathan immediately pulled Victoria behind him, gritting his teeth. "Mr. Sanchez, this is a family matter. You have no right to interfere." Theo’s voice was icy. "Mr. Hill, everyone knows Isabella as Mrs. Hill. But to those who don’t know, they might think Victoria is your wife. If you were in ancient times, you’d be the one throwing out your wife for your mistress. You’d be drown in a cage." Nathan, struggling to keep his composure, replied, "Mr. Sanchez, your hands are reaching a bit too far. You shouldn’t meddle in my family’s matters." Theo calmly took out a document, pulled out the agreement inside, and shook it open. It was the contract in which Isabella had sold herself to him. "From now on, Isabella will work for me 24 hours a day to repay a debt of one billion. Her face is the face of my company. If you damage it, it will affect my business. Don’t you think this concerns me, Mr. Hill?" Theo spoke slowly, his tone almost mocking. Nathan was left speechless. "Ridicu
Isabella turned her head, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Theo, you're just in time. Thanks to your little stunt, Nathan will finally make up his mind to divorce me."Theo replied, "I’m afraid it’s not that optimistic. The prince clearly loves you, but he still refuses to divorce you..."He hesitated, lost in thought.Isabella, realizing belatedly, understood that Theo didn’t know much about romantic relationships. She had been venting to him, clearly at her wit’s end.But to her surprise, Theo showed an unexpected maturity beyond his years and continued to analyze the situation. "Bella, Nathan is a businessman. For him, marriage is not about emotions; it's about profit. He’ll choose to stay married to you as long as the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. That’s all."Isabella was puzzled. "In his eyes, I’m just a useless, good-for-nothing. What use is there in keeping me?"Theo answered, "People at the top won’t allow themselves to have any blemishes. You saved his mistress back
Theo leaned forward, his smile mischievous. "Why split the profits so clearly? All the gains are yours. I'll make you the legal representative, and all the risks, I’ll bear."Isabella froze, instinctively reaching out to ruffle his head. "I must’ve picked up a second-hand Husky back home."Theo burst into laughter.He took Isabella to a charming villa, and just as they were about to get out of the car, a paparazzi team appeared and began snapping photos.Isabella, quick-witted, immediately reversed roles and helped Theo out of the car.Her expression turned tense as she worried about the unscrupulous media catching wind of things and writing about her relationship with Theo. Her reputation was already in tatters, so it wouldn’t matter much to her. But Theo’s reputation was another matter.Theo, ever observant, noticed the subtle shift in her mood. He admired her sharp, perceptive mind.He glared at the paparazzi, his eyes dark for someone so young. "Guillermo is in such a hurry to set
Isabella transferred the responsibility of the divorce proceedings entirely to her law firm, while she shifted her focus to the creation of her new brand. Each day, she spent her time out in the market. She needed to master the materials here in the Capital, to grasp the textile dyeing techniques, and observe the various street styles of passersby. Then, in the evening, she would sit under a desk lamp, sketching her designs. One design after another came to life on paper. Day after day, three months had passed in the blink of an eye. Isabella had drawn hundreds of designs. Theo greatly valued her work and adopted nearly all of her designs, investing heavily in mass production. For the past three months, she had been so busy that she had almost forgotten about the divorce. Meanwhile, Nathan could hardly hold back his impatience. One day, Nathan attended a gathering with his friends. Although Isabella didn’t attend, she was still the main topic of conversation. “Nat
Samuel howled, "But I didn't want to accept it."It was late.Drake came in holding a roster. He opened the roster, which had photos of the blind date participants - some with makeup, some without, as well as candid shots and work photos. It also contained the archival records of the individuals from birth until now."Please take a look."Kassidy eagerly took the boys' roster, while Samuel held the girls' roster and they both started flipping through them."Wow. They're all so good." Kassidy exclaimed enthusiastically, "So handsome and talented... I like every one of them. Except for this rich young man... What a nickname, 'Foodie'? This photo must have been photoshopped, definitely a chubby person..."She threw the roster to Drake, "Everyone except him."Drake smirked.Samuel pouted and said, "This chest is too small.""This hair color was too yellow." "This leg was a bit thick.""This waist would be perfect if i
Eric returned home and only then did he realize that his mother, Hana, had already been discharged from the hospital. Ingrid's attitude towards him had become much colder. In fact, she even showed a hint of disgust towards him."Eric, where have you been hiding these days when mom had a car accident and was hospitalized?"Eric, with the postoperative sequelae, was very weak and feeble, saying, "I had a little accident..."Hana finally noticed something unusual about her son, “What's wrong with you?"Eric lifted up the hem of his shirt, revealing the surgical scar on his lower back. "I had my kidney taken away by someone."Hana's pupils dilated, filled with fear. "How could this happen?"Eric closed his eyes in pain and said, "This matter is hard to put into words."Ingrid, who was skilled in calculations, immediately realized that the value of Eric's utilization had been discounted."You were not feeling well now, so will you b
Eric said, "Kassidy, please stop talking. I believe this wasn't done by you. Your character is just like your mother's, both of you are honest and kind people, who would never stoop to such despicable means."He lowered his head in shame and said, "I am getting what I deserved."Kassidy stared at Eric expressionlessly. It was strange, as once she had faced Nathan's myriad of turbulent and grand emotions, but now she was calm like dead ashes.In the end, she simply said, "I didn't mean to not save you. I truly didn't realize how difficult your situation was."With boundless hatred towards that man, Emma pleaded with Kassidy, "So now, could you please help us seek justice?" Despite the pleading tone, her voice was firm, tinged with a hint of reluctant inexperience.Kassidy stared at her coldly and said, "Why should I help you?"Emma was stunned, and then her little face turned bright red.Yeah, why did Kassidy save her?She shoul
Emma trembled as she asked, "Which place do you want?"The man's gaze fell on Eric's waist, “Kidney."Eric couldn't help but feel a chill run through his entire body, as if every nerve was connected to his heart. A sense of unbearable despair washed over him from his heart."I disagreed," Eric roared.The man looked at him with an increasingly cold gaze, “My son was sick. He was the same age as you all, but he developed kidney failure at such a young age. The doctor said he must have surgery as soon as possible, otherwise he won't survive this year. I won't let him die, so I must find a suitable kidney source for him... As long as he can live, I don't care about breaking the law..."Eric shouted impatiently, "You idiot, not everyone's kidney is suitable for him. If we give him our kidney, it could cause rejection, and your son would die even faster."Snap-The man slapped Eric in the face and menacingly said, "How dare you curse my so
The man's face darkened, and his eyes, filled with a predatory gaze, stared at Eric. "You wouldn't be deceiving me, would you? Eric, do you realize the consequences of deceiving me?"Eric was speechless, he was dumbfounded by the man's lack of intelligence. "My phone is in your hands, I didn't have time to tamper with it. Kassidy's phone number has always been stored in my phone. If you can't reach her, it's probably because her phone is currently with her."The man thought for a moment and felt that what he said made some sense. Then he took a deep breath and said, "Then I'll give you another fifteen minutes. If Kassidy doesn't call to confirm that you have some relationship with her, then I won't be polite to you."Time passed by minute by minute.Eric's heart grew more and more anxious. He didn't know if Kassidy would call back in such a short amount of time.As the moment of the clock was about to end, Eric's phone rang. Eric let out a sigh of
Eric looked at the screen, but Samuel's words kept echoing in his ears. Suddenly, he fell to his knees, covering his face with both hands, tears and rainwater streaming through his fingers.Yes, Isabella has always been well. She was strong and optimistic, born in adversity but with a heart to overcome obstacles. She was loyal to love and loyal to her family, so she could receive selfless love from her family.Isabella, who was so good, was looked down upon by him in his past life. Now, as he finds himself trapped in a quagmire and realizes the hardships Isabella went through, he discovers that he cannot be as good as her at all. Eric is overwhelmed with shame.He deeply realized that he was not worthy of Isabella.However, Eric soon emerged from the melancholy of lost love. He had to save Emma, and the longer he delayed, the greater the danger she faced.He got up and ran hard.This time, he couldn't help but run for a long ti
Thea suddenly touched her face and said, "Your mother was young and still had her charm. If she had married a middle-aged man who was a good match for her, they could have built a marriage together. Maybe they could have lived a comfortable and peaceful life. But your mother insisted on flattering William and indulging in unrealistic dreams. In the end, she lost both her dignity and her wealth.""Ingrid, remember my words well: Be down-to-earth and work hard in life. Don't try to take shortcuts, as those who seek to gain without effort will not have a good outcome.""By the way, also tell Eric these words."Thea finished speaking and left gracefully.Little did she know, Eric, hiding in the stairwell, understood her words perfectly. He was now caught in a dilemma: a grounded life?Can he still reach the height of his past life?After Hana was discharged from the hospital, faced with a large amount of compensation money, she had no choice but
Hana was so angry that she trembled all over, "I never expected you rich people to be so unreasonable and heartless."Olivia laughed in anger, "I never expected you poor people to stoop so low in your desperate attempts to climb the social ladder. Even resorting to using your own uterus. Oh, not all poor people are as spineless as you, my sister Thea has a lot of pride."Hana took a desperate measure, treating the dead horse as if it were alive, and said, "If William is not willing to take responsibility, then I will accuse him of negligence.""Oh, so you finally reveal your true colors, huh? If you have the guts, go ahead and sue. Do you have any evidence? If you do, bring it out immediately, and we will register this child's household registration right away. If you don't have any evidence, it's not you suing him, but us suing you for damaging William's reputation."Hana couldn't argue with Olivia and left in a huff.Olivia continued to playfully
Hana panicked, "William, I was just momentarily anxious and spoke without thinking. Please don't be angry, I won't say these nonsense words again in the future."William was exhausted and said, "Let it go."The other side.Hana heard the busy tone coming from her phone, and her face froze. She looked helplessly at the pair of children next to her and said with great disappointment, "He wants me to hit this child? Just because I said bad things about her daughter being selfish and self-centered?"Eric frowned, deeply experiencing the despair of having a teammate who was a liability. He weakly retorted, "How many times have I told you that William is obsessed with spoiling girls? If you're with her, the stepmother will have to treat you better than your own mother. But you foolishly want to compete for favor with Jade."Hana held her son's hand, tears welling up in her eyes. "Son, can you help me? How can I change his mind? I don't want to terminate