"Cynthia is your biological sister. These past few days, she has been pleading for you every day in front of your father, hoping to bring you back. She treats you with all her heart, but how do you treat her?"
Isabella saw the look of disappointment on Samuel's face, as if he regarded her as a bully who picks on the weak.
Seeing Samuel's expression, Isabella felt as if her ears had suddenly gone deaf; she couldn't hear his scolding.
All she could see was Samuel's face filled with anger and disappointment.
Today, she truly witnessed what it meant to turn black into white and to accuse the victim.
The one who betrayed first was acting all righteous and wronged, scolding her; she was framed by Cynthia, kicked out of her home, left homeless, and in the end, Cynthia was portrayed as some kind of saint.
Isabella felt so angry she wanted to laugh.
Seeing Isabella's pale face, Samuel felt that his tone just now might have been too harsh and softened his voice, "How are you doing now? Do you have a place to stay?"
Cynthia, seeing Samuel's lingering affection, pouted unhappily: "Yes, Isabella. Just admit your mistake to Dad. He won't mind too much about you staying out all night with those men. We're all family."
These words, on the surface, seemed to be for her own good, showing understanding and sisterly love. But in reality, they were emphasizing in front of Samuel the reason why Isabella was kicked out.
Ever since Cynthia framed her, making it look like she spent the night with several men at a hotel, causing a scandal, Samuel had used this reason to mock her, justifying his own cheating.
It was laughable because he had already been cheating with Cynthia long before!
Isabella's eyes turned icy as she stared at Cynthia. "If you're so concerned about me, why don't you tell Dad how you tricked me into going to the hotel that night and forged those photos?"
Cynthia looked extremely wronged, on the verge of tears. She blushed and looked at Samuel. "Sam, you know I didn't. I was with you all night that day."
Samuel carefully wiped the tears off Cynthia's face, gently comforting her, "I know it wasn't you."
In fact, Samuel never believed the scandal about Isabella. He had always wanted to take his relationship with Isabella further, but she refused every time, insisting on waiting until after marriage.
How could a woman with such principles do something so reckless?
It was for this reason that he fell into Cynthia's charms and fell in love with her.
Moreover, despite being the eldest daughter of the Rivera family, Isabella had never been favored by their father over the years.
In the future, the Riveras would inevitably belong to Cynthia. For the sake of family interests, choosing Cynthia was naturally more sensible than choosing Isabella.
Samuel reproached Isabella. "Why have you become so petty? I know I wronged you, but don't always take it out on Cynthia. She's pure and kind, and I couldn't help falling for her. It's my fault, and I'll make it up to you."
With that, he handed Isabella a check for 10,000 dollars "Here’s 10,000. Find a place to stay for now, and come back after your father calms down."
He believed that Isabella's resentment towards Cynthia was because she couldn't let go of him and was taking it out on Cynthia.
Isabella didn't move. She glanced at the check, let out a cold laugh, and said dismissively, "I find it disgusting. Move aside, I don't want to waste any more words."
Samuel frowned. Her stubbornness was still the same.
She abruptly pushed past them and got ready to leave on her bicycle.
Behind her, Cynthia mocked, "Isabella, why are you riding a bicycle? Let Sam drive you."
Samuel added, "You're the daughter of the Riveras. Riding a bicycle is so undignified. Take my car instead."
‘For goodness' sake, being with you two is what's truly undignified. Can you stop disgusting me?’
Isabella felt a surge of anger but kept her face calm. "No need, I’ve called for a car."
She looked down at her phone to order a ride.
She couldn't stand being around these two repulsive people for another minute, or she felt she might die from the toxicity of their presence.
Before she could complete her request, a sleek silver sports car stopped next to her. The driver, dressed impeccably, looked extraordinary. He stepped out and respectfully asked, "Are you Miss Isabella Rivera?"
Isabella was taken aback but nodded.
"The car your man ordered has arrived. Please get in," the driver said, opening the door for her with a respectful gesture.
Isabella was bewildered. "Which man?"
The driver smiled and didn't elaborate.
‘Could it be him? Impossible, why would he order a car for me?’ Isabella was full of doubts.
As she hesitated, Samuel suddenly called out to her, "Isabella..."
She turned to see him looking astonished, as if he wanted to reach out and stop her.
Feeling a deep sense of revulsion, she quickly escaped into the car.
The car started and sped away.
Cynthia and Samuel stared at each other, bewildered.
Samuel was utterly shocked, staring at the departing car.
That sleek, high-end car was definitely not an ordinary luxury vehicle. If he wasn't mistaken, it was a CCXR, one of only six in the world, worth over two million.
The key point was that such top-tier cars couldn't be bought just with money. They were only sold to royalty in Dubai and the UK, as well as a few top global tycoons and dignitaries.
He had never seen such a car in Elaris.
Cynthia pouted dismissively, "It's just a ride-share service. We're so good to her, but she just can't appreciate it. How can sitting in that unknown car be better than your Porsche?"
Samuel choked; his Porsche couldn't even compare to the CCXR.
A ride-share service?
Who drives a milion-dollar car to earn money as a driver?
Such cars weren't seen in this country, so it wasn't surprising Cynthia didn't recognize it.
Samuel coughed, not wanting to explain.
Cynthia, meanwhile, gushed about the driver. "What a pity that such a handsome driver is just running a ride-share service."
Seeing Samuel's expression, she realized she misspoke and quickly added, "Of course, he's nowhere near as good as you. I just thought the driver looked a bit like Caleb Reed."
Samuel thought the same. He pondered and realized the driver did indeed resemble Caleb Reed, the eldest son of the Reed family.
Caleb Reed was at the helm of the Reed Group's wealth.
The Reed family was the second richest in Elaris, dominating the global electronics industry, second only to the Knights, the kings of the business world.
A disgraced, homeless girl was picked up by a top-tier global luxury car, driven by none other than Caleb Reed, the renowned eldest son of the Reed family.
This was insane!
To reassure himself he wasn’t losing his mind, Samuel put his arm around Cynthia’s shoulder and said, “That’s impossible, dear. We must have both seen it wrong.”
Cynthia would rather believe she was blind than think that Caleb Reed would be driving a top-tier luxury car as Isabella’s chauffeur.
When Isabella got home, the car that had brought her quickly drove away.
She pushed open the door, intending to ask the injured man what had happened.
But the house was eerily quiet.
Hmm?
Where did he go? Could he have already left?
***
Isabella wondered. His injuries weren’t healed, and he had a fever—where could he have gone?He had no one to rely on, was suffering from a terminal illness, and like her, was homeless. Now, with his injuries and amnesia, his situation was truly dire.Earlier, she had driven him away out of anger. Maybe the saying ‘a sharp tongue but a soft heart’ really did apply to her.Calming down, she realized they were both in similarly difficult situations, and she felt a sense of empathy.Deep down, Isabella still felt sympathy for this man.She decided to go out and look for him, but then she heard the door open.The man stood at the doorway, dressed in casual sportswear. The sunlight from outside cast a golden glow on his tall figure. With a gentle breeze, he looked distinguished and elegant, exuding a noble aura.Isabella was momentarily dazed.Lucius slightly curled his lips into a smile and walked into the house with his long legs. “You’re back? It was stuffy inside, so I went out for a w
Lucius, unperturbed, responded, “Mm-hmm.”Isabella finally couldn't contain the overwhelming urge to punch him. She raised her small fists threateningly in front of him.Lucius, seeing the small, fair fists, blinked and coolly refused, “Arm-wrestle with me? No way, I’m still injured.”This statement reminded Isabella: was he deliberately provoking her to make her fall into a trap? If she accidentally hurt him more, he’d have an even better excuse to stick around.Catching herself just in time, Isabella grinned and continued shaking her fists, “Keep trying, you’ll remember eventually.”But she couldn't let him get away with everything. Smiling sweetly, she said, “You need a name. Since you can’t remember your past, I can’t just call you ‘hey,’ right?”After thinking for a moment, she suggested cheerfully, “I found you at the entrance of my house, so how about we call you Mucky?”Lucius’s face darkened, “Mucky?”He caught on quickly. Isabella stifled her laughter and switched tactics, “
Finally unable to resist, she approached and peeked through a crack in the door. Taking a deep breath, she was astonished by what she saw.Lucius was chasing a live fish around the kitchen with a knife...Lucius, being cautious of oil splatters, was honing his basketball skills by tossing lobsters into the hot oil...Lucius was putting on a show, smashing eggs with flair, yolks splattering...Lucius, pinched by a crab, was hammering away at it...But the most heart-stopping sight was Lucius's unique chopping technique, dangerously close to chopping off his own fingers...Unable to bear it any longer, Isabella shouted, "Stop!"Lucius paused, turning to look at Isabella, confidently saying, "Turns out, I've got quite the knack for cooking. Just hold on a bit. If you're hungry, you can try the two dishes I've already whipped up."He gestured towards the two plates on the table."What on earth..." she muttered, noticing they were charred black and still smoking."Charcoal?"Isabella cough
Lucius opened the lottery app, checked the winning numbers, and nodded confidently. "That's right. The numbers I bought match the winning numbers."Isabella stared in disbelief before joy took over. She ran around the room and patted Lucius on the shoulder, laughing. "Haha, I didn't expect you to be so lucky! Since you won us the prize, I'll let go of all our past grievances."She wore a magnanimous expression, as if forgiving all past wrongs.With that, she picked up the spoon from the table and excitedly finished her bowl of soup. She was so happy that she couldn't help but eat.Lucius lazily leaned back in his chair, casually glanced at Isabella, and said, "That's the spoon I used. It has my saliva on it. You're indirectly kissing me."Ew—! If you don't say anything, no one will consider you mute.Isabella quickly ran to rinse her mouth.At night, when it was time to shower, the inevitable dispute over who would use the bathroom first ensued between them.Unable to compete with the
Isabella drew a line down the middle of the bed and sternly warned Lucius, "This is the boundary. If you dare cross it..."She paused, making a chopping gesture at his neck, her face serious, "I'll show no mercy!"Lucius glanced at her nonchalantly and said in a tired tone, "You better control yourself and not get any ideas about me."And so, she inexplicably ended up sharing a bed with Lucius. Isabella couldn't help but cry out in her heart, "Oh, God, what are you doing to me?"Lucius, on the other hand, was very relaxed and soon his even breathing indicated he was sleeping soundly. Isabella was not so lucky; she stared wide-eyed and couldn't fall asleep.She sneaked a glance at Lucius and saw that he was sleeping soundly without any impure thoughts, which reassured her a bit. Gradually, sleepiness overcame her and she drifted off.In her dream, her grandfather was back, lovingly calling her, "Bella, come eat."Her grandfather had made delicious Beef Shank, and she happily went to ea
The hexagonal tower gleamed in the sunlight, its streamlined architecture looking modern and grand.This was the Knight Entertainment, the high-end palace for entertainers in Elaris. The most influential film stars globally took pride in signing with Knight Entertainment.And Knight Entertainment was just the tip of the iceberg of the Knight business sphere.Knight's business sphere was the most powerful and robust in Elaris and even globally.In Elaris, Knight's name was synonymous with dominance in the business world. Knight Entertainment had branches worldwide, and even the prestigious Golden Awards were hosted by Knight.No financial conglomerate could match it, and no company could shake its position.In Elaris, Knight had its hand in everything from electronics, finance, insurance, biopharmaceuticals, construction, chemicals, medical, aviation parts... Hence the moniker ‘Knight Empire.’The 'Knight Empire' played a crucial role in the economic lifeblood of Elaris.This enormous
Thalia stepped forward, her tone light and dismissive. “The results for today’s interview have already been finalized, and all positions have been filled. Therefore, the interviews are over.” Isabella’s eyes were steely as she stared at Thalia. “I am one of the candidates. I haven’t been interviewed. Why are the interviews concluded?” Thalia chuckled, condescendingly. “We’ve already selected the best candidates. With all positions filled, there’s no need to continue the interviews.” “Oh, really?” Isabella’s voice was sharp and unyielding. “Are you telling me that a prestigious company like Knight Entertainment doesn’t follow proper procedures? That a mere secretary can manipulate the process for personal gain? Does your boss know about this?” “You...” Thalia’s face turned red with anger, but before she could argue further, the main interviewer intervened. He addressed Isabella. “I haven’t received your resume. It might have been misplaced. I’ll go check.” He turned back to the o
Thalia snorted coldly and produced a document endorsed by the head of the HR Department. "See this? The list of recruited personnel for this interview has already been finalized by our HR Department's Director Thorne. The document has been enacted and cannot be changed." The chief interviewer looked at the list, his face darkening. "Elara Hawke..." He glanced at the overweight woman standing outside the door, peering inside. She was Elara Hawke. During her interview, this woman had shown no sense of method, a complete novice to the performing arts. She had no acting skills whatsoever. He remembered giving her the lowest score; how could someone like her possibly appear on the list of recruits? Pointing at the overweight woman, The chief interviewer retorted, "How could someone with such a low score be hired? Has your HR Department made a mistake?" Thalia swiftly put away the document, unabashedly asserting, "How our HR Department operates is none of your concern. In any case, th
As if reading her thoughts, Lucius embraced her and held her face, looking into her eyes. “I love you,” he admitted, his gaze unwavering. “I always have. Ever since the first time we met, I admired your strength and your passion. I wanted to be someone you could rely on, someone who would stand by you, even if it meant hiding who I was.”Isabella searched his eyes for any sign of deception, but all she found was raw honesty. The realization settled within her like a weight being lifted. The anger that had flared between them now seemed trivial compared to the bond they had forged through adversity. “No more secrets, okay?”“Agreed,” he said, relief flooding his features. “I promise to be honest with you from here on out. And please don’t worry about the Rivera Corporation. I’ll help you resolve everything.”“You know?” Isabella blinked, startled once again.“I said I was on a business trip because I’m helping you solve the problems at the Rivera Corporation. Your father is critically i
When Isabella finally finished her work and could take a moment to rest, she remembered that someone was waiting for her at home. She quickly took out her phone to send a message.She had expected to find numerous missed calls and messages from Lucius, given his personality, but to her surprise, there was only one message.“Bella, I’ll be busy traveling with my boss for the next few days, so don’t worry about me.”Of course, Lucius had his own life and couldn’t revolve entirely around her. Yet, for some reason, Isabella felt uneasy upon reading that message.As fatigue set in, she had no choice but to rest in the office for a while.She slept soundly until night fell and was awakened by Nate shaking her.“Miss, there’s a banquet tonight where you need to attend as the representative of the Rivera Corporation. We can't let others see us in a bad light; it’s best if you can bring in some investment for the company,” Nate said, immediately arranging for a stylist and a wardrobe for Isabe
"Are you sure it’s not needed?"“Miss, what do you mean?” Nate, perceptive and sharp, immediately understood after hearing Isabella’s words—Regina was involved.Isabella nodded and said to Nate, “Before, when I was slandered, I had a huge argument with my father because I discovered that Regina was behind the losses of the Rivera Corporation. But I only heard fragments of her conversation; I had no evidence.”“I’ll go retrieve the accounts! As long as there are financial transactions, we should be able to uncover the truth,” Nate said, quickly heading towards the company.After all, with Carlos in his current state, only the doctors and nurses could help him now.Once Nate left, no one else appeared outside the hospital room.Isabella dialed Regina’s number.
As Isabella listened to their conversation, a realization struck her. She stepped forward, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Is this the woman you saw?”Barely able to contain her excitement, she pulled out a photo of her mother and handed it to the person who had been speaking.“Yes, yes, that’s her!” The person, startled by Isabella’s sudden appearance, nodded in recognition. After all, such a beautiful woman was unforgettable after just one meeting.“I clearly remember that she was kidnapped by a man living in this building, and Regina was being chased by debt collectors. She even tried to confront that man, provoking him and putting herself at risk with those pursuing her for money.”“Oh, isn’t that just typical of her? Deep in debt and not even trying to earn her way out,” one person scoffed.“I can’t believe it!” Isabella clenched her fists in anger, her eyes wide with disbelief.Her mother had only mentioned her benefactor once,
“You don’t even share the Knight last name, and you dare to argue with me in front of my parents, and my own nephew? You really have some nerve!” Giselle coldly shot a glance at Lydia, not holding back her disdain for her. When it came to matters of interest, she didn’t even want to pretend anymore.“What do you mean I don’t share the last name? I’ve carried a Knight family member in my belly! My poor Lily is still in the hospital, all alone, receiving treatment while her mother is being bullied like this. It’s really inhumane!” Lydia put on her usual act, crying and making a scene, appealing to everyone’s sympathy for her sick daughter.Lydia was merely the daughter of a subordinate of Lucius’ father—Jay. At a banquet, she climbed the social ladder and successfully became Jay’s mistress, even getting pregnant.She gave birth to a daughter, Lily Knight, but the child was born frail and weak.
“Did they send you as a negotiator?” Hearing Lysander mention the Knight family, Lucius couldn't help but sneer, dismissively saying, “They’re all useless leeches clinging to me. None of them genuinely care about my well-being.”The reason Lucius had been gravely injured in front of Isabella was recently revealed to be the work of a business competitorBut at that time, some members of the Knight family weren’t in a hurry to find him; they even tried to take advantage of his absence to seize control of the Knight Group.The ‘useless’ people Lucius referred to included his stepmother—Lydia, his aunt—Giselle, and Lydia's brother, Hans.They all had their eyes on the Knight Group, clearly incompetent and unable to do anything, yet they harbored grand ambitions of taking it for themselves.Over the years, Lucius had cleaned up many of their messes.Fo
Seeing that the crowd was about to be won over by Isabella, Samuel couldn’t hold back his frustration any longer. He turned and walked away, almost fleeing, and his back looked utterly defeated.“I do not regret choosing Aetheron Film Academy; it has always been my dream school because it is open-minded and inclusive, a place where all aspiring performers wish to be. So today, I will not shy away from being broad-minded and accommodating of everyone’s opinions. Now that I stand on this stage, I am not just myself; I am embodying a character whose image is open to any judgment. Thus, I welcome all your doubts.”“However, I also hope everyone can think critically and analyze dialectically. It’s best to bring strong evidence before questioning me. When you defame me, don’t just follow the crowd; have your own insights. If you have grievances against me, feel free to confront me directly; I am never afraid.”“Lastly, I
Clearly, Isabella's powerful presence had intimidated them.In the audience, surrounded by so many people, it was easy for them to hurl defamatory remarks and throw a few paper balls without fear of being immediately identified by Isabella. They felt shielded by their large numbers.But when Isabella asked who among them could replace her, no one dared to speak up. Many of them bowed their heads, afraid to meet her gaze, fearing that if they made eye contact with her, they might be called up to the stage.However, not everyone present was without courage. Some were accustomed to bullying Isabella under the cover of numbers, while others genuinely disliked her due to the rumors circulating about her. One of these was Molly.Glancing around, Molly noticed that those who had thrown things the hardest were silent, not daring to contradict Isabella. Without fear, she stood up, becoming the center
After wrapping up the matter, Isabella went to Aetheron Film Academy for classes.Today was her opening ceremony, and due to her excellent grades, she had been chosen to represent the freshmen and give a speech.Such things had always been routine for Isabella.Having excelled academically throughout her life, Isabella was not intimidated at all; she delivered her speech as the representative of the new students with great fluency. “I’m very happy to enter Aetheron Film Academy and become a diligent student of Aetheron. In the near future, we will surely be the creators of this glorious era.”However, just as she was concluding her speech, someone in the audience threw a rotten egg at her, hitting her squarely.Wearing a pure white dress that day, the foul-smelling egg not only covered her in a terrible odor but also instantly stained her dress, causing the crowd to eru