"How is it you! You dare come to find me!" Isabella stared at her, trembling uncontrollably, whether from pain or anger.
"Don't get excited, my dear sister. You just had a baby, and getting angry is bad for your health," Emily insincerely said, walking past her into the hospital room.
"I don't welcome you here. Please leave immediately," Isabella said, looking at her with a guarded expression, not mincing words in asking her to leave.
Emily, however, seemed to completely ignore her eviction notice and casually pulled out a large red wedding invitation from her exquisite handbag, handing it to Isabella.
"James and I are getting engaged next week, and I came specifically to invite you to our engagement ceremony. How can such an important event be complete without you as a witness?"
Emily smiled, but her laughter was somewhat grating.
"Is this a victor's flaunting? Don't you feel shameless for what you've done?" Isabella held the wedding invitation, her fingertips turning white.
Originally, all of this belonged to her: love, a wedding, and James. But Emily had used shameless means to snatch it all away from her.
"The means don't matter; what's important is the result... Isabella, don't feel like you're wronged. It's because you're too foolish."
Isabella realized that she had been foolish to let her in.
Meanwhile, Emily had already walked to the side of the hospital bed, and her eyes fell on the sleeping child.
"Is this the wild seed you gave birth to?" She reached for the child while speaking, her nails sharp and claw-like.
"Don't touch him!" Isabella grabbed her hand and pushed her away.
Isabella had just given birth and had no strength. It was just a gentle push, but Emily suddenly fell to the ground.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face, looking at Isabella with innocent eyes.
"Isabella, don't treat me like this. I'm your sister, after all. I know I did wrong by getting involved with James... I really didn't mean it. Can you forgive me, please?"
Isabella looked at her in shock and hadn't quite grasped the situation when a tall figure suddenly passed by and crouched in front of Emily.
"Emily, what happened to you?" James looked at her with tender concern.
Isabella had her back to the door and hadn't seen when James had arrived. But Emily had seen and staged this melodrama.
"I accidentally fell on my own, James. Don't blame Isabella," Emily spoke softly and weakly, trying to ensure that no one misunderstood her.
Indeed, James looked at Isabella with a cold gaze and said, "Isabella, I must take responsibility for Emily. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
She listened and smirked. He was indeed the man she had chosen, very responsible.
"I'm not blaming you, and I didn't invite her to come in and let me push her."
James furrowed his brow and asked Emily, "Why did you come here?"
"I... I wanted to seek Isabella's forgiveness. I hope she can bless us. I don't want a marriage without the blessings of family."
Emily tearfully played the victim, making it seem like Isabella was the guilty one.
"Alright, I wish you both a happy marriage and a lifetime of happiness. Is that enough? Emily, if you continue lying on the ground, don't you worry that he might suspect you're faking it?" Isabella remarked.
Emily's face turned somewhat unpleasant, and James, who had been trying to help her up, failed. She fell to the ground again, with a pool of blood suddenly appearing beneath her.
"James, I'm in pain, our child..." James's face also changed, and he panicked, picking her up and quickly running outside. Before leaving, he said to Isabella, "Isabella, why have you become so terrifying? Do you know she's been pregnant for nine weeks?"
Pregnant for nine weeks? So, they had slept together more than once.
Isabella let out a bitter laugh, her body shaking uncontrollably.
She looked down and suddenly realized her pants were wet and warm. She had been bleeding continuously after giving birth, and her body was incredibly weak; she had only been forcing herself.
At this moment, she felt like her strength had been completely drained from her body. She leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the ground, unable to get back up.
"Ma'am, what's wrong with you?" Ava entered with a thermos, saw Isabella sitting on the ground, and turned pale with shock, loudly calling for a doctor.
The baby, who had been sleeping soundly, was now awakened and didn't understand what was happening. He cried with all his might, his voice hoarse.
Isabella was in a semi-conscious state, gripping Ava's arm tightly, her vision blurred.
"Ava," her voice was hoarse and weak.
"I'm here, Ma'am. Don't be afraid; I'm here with you," Ava's eyes were red from crying. She was Isabella's nursemaid and had watched her grow up, and they had a deep bond.
"Ava, do I look like a fool..." Isabella whispered with a bitter smile.
Before that fateful night, she had always considered Emily her sister and James as the love of her life. But they had betrayed her.
Isabella had been suffering from a persistent fever, and it had taken over a month for her to barely recover.
The first thing she did after getting better was to find Andrew's business card and give him a call.
She had called him in the morning, and he arrived at the hospital in the evening.
The two of them sat face to face.
Isabella appeared fragile and pale, but her eyes were clear and bright, as if her body was the only thing weakened by illness, while her soul remained strong and resolute.
She silently gazed at Andrew, and this was the first time she had carefully examined him.
He was dressed in a dark shirt, broad-shouldered and tall. Whether it was due to the lighting or not, he sat there looking exceptionally tall and deep.
His shirt cuffs were rolled up, and he wore a slightly worn steel watch on his left wrist.
A man's watch, like a woman's handbag, is often a symbol of status. But his watch betrayed him.
She guessed that Andrew's family background probably wasn't that great.
"How old are you?" Isabella was the first to speak.
"Twenty-eight years old," he replied.
"What do you do?" she asked again.
"Are you verifying my identity?" he raised an eyebrow, his emotions hard to discern.
"Don't I have the right to know about the current status of my child's father?" she said sternly.
"Doing some small business with friends," Andrew answered in a cooperative tone, nodding for her to continue.
She furrowed her pretty brows once again, thinking: Typically, freeloaders like to claim they are in business. Isabella wasn't pleased with his response.
"Do you have a permanent residence now?"
"No," Andrew answered truthfully.
He owned too much property, and he didn't stay in one place.
Isabella's beautifully embroidered eyebrows tightened again, and she thought: As she had guessed. Her preliminary judgment of Andrew was a typical idle, freeloading, pretty boy.
"If you don't object, I can also take the child back to my parents," Andrew added.
The Turner family was a centuries-old aristocratic family, and half of Ithaca town was their property. The ancestral mansion of Turner family was located there, a mansion covering 70,000 square meters, which was comparable to a royal palace.
Isabella was frustrated, and she put her hand to her forehead. It turned out this person not only freeloaded but also depended on his parents!
"Have you finished your questions?" Andrew squinted his eyes.
"Yes, that's all for now," Isabella replied with a touch of annoyance. Nowadays, unemployed freeloaders were so audacious?
Seeing that she had nothing more to say, Andrew handed her two agreements.
One was a prenuptial agreement, and the other was a custody transfer agreement.
She didn't even look at the prenuptial agreement, tearing it in half and tossing it into the nearby recycling bin.
He watched her actions and didn't express any opinion. It seemed that her choice had nothing to do with him.
Isabella opened the custody transfer agreement and didn't read the content from the beginning, signing her name directly at the end.
So, she wasn't aware of the agreement's content, which included compensation for her, such as property, bonds, funds, and a small publicly traded company.
Andrew didn't care about money, and he would naturally not be stingy with the girl who had given birth to his child, especially considering that she was his mate. That night, he had been a bit drunk and unexpectedly found his mate. Due to the extreme craving of a wolf for its mate, he forced this girl to become his. He took her virginity. He admitted that it was the most significant loss of control in his life.
As the Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, he had his own duties and despised the constraints of marriage. She was an ignorant human, and he would not allow himself to be bound by her, even though he gave her a choice. He believed that the link between wolves given by the Moon Goddess was foolish, and he detested the feeling of being controlled. Fortunately, she was clueless about it.
His demeanor was indifferent, and he didn't suggest to her to read the content from the beginning.
"Consider me unlucky," Isabella handed the custody transfer agreement back to him, along with a set of keys and a bank card.
"I have an apartment. After the baby turns one month old, you can move in. I will regularly pay child support; if you don't squander it, it should cover your expenses for you and your son."
Andrew was slightly surprised, and for the first time, a faint emotion flickered across his handsome face, a half-smile tinged with curiosity.
So, he... was being kept?
After Isabella and Andrew reached a preliminary consensus, a woman in her thirties entered with a respectful demeanor. She was well-dressed and had a clean appearance. She introduced herself as a professional maternity nurse named Amelia.She understood that it wasn't very practical for a man to take care of a newborn baby all by himself, so they needed a maternity nurse. However, she had heard that maternity nurses were paid quite well, and this man had no money; the expenses were all on her, and it made her feel a bit sorry.She subconsciously glared at Andrew, who seemed puzzled by her glare."The baby is chubby and adorable. Let me hold him," Amelia walked to the bedside, extending her hands with a smile.However, Isabella instinctively held her son tightly, and her eyes suddenly welled up. She couldn't bear to part with him and had second thoughts.The atmosphere in the room instantly fell into silence.Andrew, with his firm lips lightly pursed, looked at her thoughtfully. "It's
James is a very traditional man, which is why Emily had to pretend to be a virgin and make things official with him. Her previous pregnancy and abortion were certainly things she couldn't let him find out about."Isabella, stop threatening me. James loves me so much; he won't believe what you say," Emily glared at her."I don't know how much he loves you, but I'm not interested in men who are easily swayed. However, I hadn't planned to give up this room to you. If you don't leave, I'll call James and see if he'll believe me..." Isabella began reaching for her phone as she spoke.Before she could finish her sentence, Emily left angrily to find Charlotte."Sweetie, what's wrong with you again? I just managed to pacify your dad. Be good and give me a break," Charlotte warned."Mom, it's because you're too soft-hearted. You should have kicked them both out from the start. Let's see how they'd dare to argue with me over a room," Emily said bitterly."Darling, keep your voice down, you migh
"Brother, are you this temperamental?" His raised arm was intercepted by Olivia before it could fall. Olivia had dyed hair, heavy makeup, and a short skirt revealing her thighs.Her looks weren't as impressive as Isabella's, but her alluring thighs easily drew the attention of him."Brother, don't lower yourself to her level. Look at me, how about we find a private room to chat?" Olivia said with a playful smile.Isabella knew that Olivia was trying to help her get out of this situation but still worried. "Hey, can you handle him alone?""Sis, it's not my first day here. I've got pepper spray in my purse; I won't suffer," Olivia said as she took out a small canister of pepper spray from her bag and handed it to Isabella."Be careful," Isabella replied as she took it.Having escaped the lewd man, she walked alone in the dimly lit corridor, with sounds of booming music and luxurious moans emanating from the private rooms on both sides.Isabella couldn't help but frown; with so many room
"If everything goes as planned, yes," Andrew replied indifferently, as if he were taking over a regular job rather than a massive conglomerate.Ryan let out a soft snort, continuing with a half-mocking tone, "It seems your father Mr.Jacob hasn't lost his mind yet. Handing the company over to you is much better than letting it fall into the hands of his grandson. If he gets it, he'll squander it all within ten years."The lycanthropes of the Dark Moon Clan had hidden within the human world centuries ago. Due to the interbreeding with humans over the generations, the lycanthropic blood had gradually thinned, and many descendants of lycanthropes couldn't even shift into wolves. However, the Turner family was different. Andrew's father had decreed that the public wolves of the Turner family couldn't mate with humans, and as a result, Andrew and his siblings had pure lycanthropic blood.The Turner family was a powerful clan, deeply involved in politics and business, and held a prominent po
The panic on her face was not faked at all. Even though she had instructed Grace to hide the bracelet in Isabella's room to frame her, she hadn't ordered Grace to destroy it. After all, these bracelets were extremely valuable, and they were tokens from the Brown family."What else do you have to say? You're acting so malicious at such a young age," David's rage was ablaze, and he raised his hand as if to strike Isabella.Naturally, she wasn't going to stand there and let him hit her; she had already moved to the side. She gave a nonchalant glance at Emily and her mother, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile."If I really wanted to steal something, would I have put it in my room and waited for you to catch me?"She thought David, who had climbed from a humble civil servant to become the Deputy Mayor, couldn't be a fool. However, she couldn't understand how such a shrewd man could be so easily manipulated by Charlotte and her daughter."Is someone else framing you?" David shouted
“Also, you need to take $20,000 and give it to Mr. Bennett, the intermediary. We've been hiring household staff through him, and you should ask him to find a job for your distant niece, Lily, in our house.”"I understand, Ma'am," Ava nodded. Instead of letting Charlotte insert another spy, it was better for them to take the initiative.After she had finished giving instructions, Isabella felt tired and went to bed early.Three days later, Ava brought Lily to meet her."Hello, Ma'am," Lily politely bowed. She had her hair in two thick braids, and she appeared quite intelligent.Isabella smiled and asked her a few simple questions. Lily was two years older than her, twenty-one years old, with a high school diploma. She had come from Blue River town to Ithaca town a year ago and had previously worked as a waitress in a restaurant."However, you must remember that in this house, you don't need to reveal your relationship with Ava or me, or even with me," she reminded her."I understand,"
Andrew was dressed very casually today, wearing a light beige V-neck sweater and black casual pants, exuding a faint elegant charm."Do I look good?" He turned his head slightly, and their gazes briefly met.His deep blue eyes were so profound that she felt a bit hesitant to look directly at him. Andrew faintly smirked. In fact, when she approached the door, his wolf instincts had already detected her scent, which was quite alluring to him."Yes," she honestly nodded, smiling, "Your voice is quite nice too."His voice was low and magnetic, like a cello's bass note."'Good-looking' isn't much of a compliment for a man," he said indifferently, showing no emotion, as he handed over Asher, who was in his arms. Asher was only a month old, and because he was a Hybrid, Andrew wasn't worried about the baby revealing any wolfish features to scare the human girl.Isabella immediately snapped out of her admiration. She took the baby carefully into her arms, and her movements were a bit stiff due
"Will the school accept my explanation?" she said calmly."The school will certainly consider it," Benjamin replied, his hand resting on the table, tapping it now and then. It seemed like he was subtly exerting pressure on her.However, she didn't show any signs of panic and spoke in a composed tone."The person in the photo is indeed me. I was ill in the first half of the year and frequently visited the hospital for treatment. It's not unusual to be photographed outside the hospital. I just can't understand how this photo could be linked to me having an illegitimate child."In the photo, she had wrapped herself tightly, resembling a ball, and her belly was not visible at all. She could easily deny it.At this moment, she was extremely grateful that David cared about his reputation. He had forcefully suppressed the news of her having an illegitimate child, and Charlotte's attempt with this photo was ultimately ineffective.However, while the photo lacked the necessary impact, the pres
Isabella chuckled softly at his words. Then, she got out of bed, tidied her clothes, and opened the door.As soon as the door opened, Asher lunged in, diving straight into his mother's soft embrace."Mommy's precious baby is back," Isabella planted a kiss on Asher's cheek."Amelia took Asher to ride the slide, and then we're coming down!" Asher exclaimed excitedly.Isabella nodded with a smile and asked, "Asher, Do you like to play on the slide?""Yes! I like it." Asher nodded vigorously and said, "I want to eat marshmallows. Mommy, you will buy marshmallows for me, right?"Amelia thought that too many sweets were bad for Asher's teeth, so she rarely let him have candy. Asher was clever; whenever he couldn't get what he wanted from Amelia, he would turn to Isabella and act cute.Isabella smiled and nodded, "Alright, next time Mommy will take Asher to the park to buy marshmallows.""Asher loves Mommy the most!" Asher hugged Isabella's neck and giggled.Isabella carried the child downst
Isabella sat in the passenger seat of Andrew's car, holding a thick stack of documents, still finding it hard to believe.In her impression, Robert had always been deeply secretive, shrewd, and ruthless, having run Moonlit Art Inc. for many years, firmly entrenched in his position.She had constantly been troubled by how to deal with him, yet Robert handed Moonlit Art Inc. back to her and even planned her way forward.She couldn't help but wonder if everything that had just happened was an illusion."Andrew, let me pinch you," Isabella said."Why?" Andrew asked, holding the steering wheel with one hand, puzzled."I want to see if I'm dreaming," Isabella replied."Shouldn't you pinch yourself then?""Are you silly? Pinching myself hurts. Pinching you is the same," Isabella answered seriously.Andrew: "..."He'd be foolish to let her pinch him."Andrew, do you think Robert might be possessed? He just handed the company back to me so easily. Moonlit Art Inc. is worth billions," Isabella
Robert stood at the café entrance, watching as the black Benz disappeared from view. Only then did he step down the stairs and walk towards his car. Holding the electronic key in his hand, he unlocked the car just as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket.Glancing at the caller ID, he saw Alice's name and habitually frowned.When he answered, Alice's cool voice came through, "Robert, I'm planning to sell the house. While packing today, I found some of your things. Come get them today, or I'll throw them out with the trash."Robert and Alice's marriage had been a heavy loss. Alice would never have agreed to the divorce willingly. Robert had left her all the property and cash in his name before she agreed to the divorce.After hanging up, Robert drove to their former home.The electronic lock had long since been changed by Alice, so he could only knock on the door.Alice answered, her attitude indifferent. Now divorced, they were like strangers."Your things are in the kitchen. Take a
When Isabella received Robert's call, she was at the spa with Oliver. The beautician handed Isabella her phone, and she answered the call directly.Hearing Robert's voice surprised Isabella. After hanging up, she removed her face mask and sat up.“Isabella, what’s wrong?” Oliver asked, puzzled.“Robert wants to meet. Not sure what he’s up to this time,” Isabella replied.“He’s Charlotte’s family. He can’t mean any good. Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Oliver said, worried.“Moonlit Art Inc. is still in Robert’s hands.” Isabella sighed, jumped off the bed, and slipped on her high heels. “You go home; I’ll go meet him.”Isabella quickly washed her face, dressed, and drove to the meeting place. Robert had arranged to meet at a café, and for safety, Isabella sent the café's location to Andrew.After sending the message, she tossed her phone back into her bag. Her red Maserati parked steadily outside the café.Isabella stepped out, carrying her bag and walking into the café in her high heels.Wea
"Charlotte, Emily, please have a seat," Robert said calmly.Charlotte, who had been kept waiting for several hours, was seething with anger but had no outlet for it. After all, they were there to ask for help, and when asking for help, one must have the right attitude. She led Emily to the sofa in the reception area and sat down.Robert finished his work and then sat down on the single-seater sofa opposite them, instructing the secretary to bring over some coffee."No need. We’ve had enough coffee to be full," Charlotte replied sarcastically.However, the secretary still brought a cup of coffee and placed it on the coffee table in front of Robert.Robert took a sip of the coffee and spoke in a light tone, "I was thinking of finding time to talk to you, cousin. Since you’re here, there's no need to schedule a time.""Robert, what is it?" Charlotte asked."Not long ago, Alice and I finalized our divorce," Robert said."What?" Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise. "Something as major as
News of David being taken into police custody was suppressed by Andrew, preventing any public impact. However, high society circles are always well-informed, making it impossible to keep the matter entirely under wraps.Mr. Jacob specifically called Andrew to inquire about the situation, his tone laced with sarcasm. Andrew offered no explanation, but after hanging up, he instructed Ryan to send evidence of Thomas's money laundering and bribery to Mr. Jacob, nearly giving the latter a heart attack.Subsequently, the Clark family also received the news. They was not as easygoing.Mrs. Clark directly ordered the servants to throw out all of Emily's belongings, declaring that Stellan should divorce her.Emily ran back home in tears, immediately throwing herself into Charlotte's arms upon entering."Emily, why are you crying like this? What happened?" Charlotte asked with a sigh.Recently, with Victoria and David both imprisoned, Charlotte had aged significantly."Mom, Stellan wants to div
Meanwhile, inside the CEO's office, Isabella was sitting in the boss's chair behind the large desk, sipping freshly brewed coffee and playing games on Andrew's computer. Andrew's computer was top-notch, and there wasn't a hint of lag while gaming.Isabella was thoroughly enjoying herself, unaware of how much time had passed until the office door opened from the outside and Andrew walked in with a file in hand. Seeing Isabella in his chair softened his otherwise stern expression."You're done with the meeting," Isabella remarked upon seeing him. She closed the game and rested her arm on the desk, propping her chin up to look at him. "Andrew, your computer is great for gaming."Andrew shook his head with a smile, feeling a bit helpless. The information on his computer was valuable enough to buy half of Ithaca town, yet only Isabella dared to use it for gaming."If you like it, I'll have Nathan buy one just like it for you.""Great!" Isabella nodded with a smile, standing up and sidling
“If Andrew would divorce me because the Harris family falls from grace, it would only prove he's not worth trusting. Victoria, do you understand what love is? I love Andrew, and I believe he loves me too.”"Love?" Victoria sneered disdainfully. "Isabella, you're truly ridiculous.""It's not me who's ridiculous, it's you, Victoria. Your whole life has been like a joke." Isabella slowly stood up, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at her."In fact, I've considered many ways to end you, but upon reflection, the best method is to bring you to justice. Victoria, you must live well in prison, reflect on what you've done and the lives you've ruined. I'll make time to visit you."After saying this, Isabella arrogantly turned and walked away, her high heels clicking with each step as she left the hospital room.Behind her, Victoria suddenly erupted into hysterical screams and roars, "I don't want to go to prison! Let me go, let me go!"Hearing the commotion, two guards outside rushed in and
At night, Isabella and Andrew had just finished an intense sex. They lay naked under the covers, chatting. Just as they were kissing passionately, the phone vibrated, interrupting them.Andrew, slightly annoyed, answered the call. Whatever the other person said made him glance at Isabella subconsciously."Andrew, what happened?" Isabella asked after he hung up."Victoria was injured and admitted to the hospital," Andrew replied."Is it easy to get injured in custody?" Isabella asked, puzzled."She was courting death; no one could stop her," Andrew said coldly. "Victoria requested to see Charlotte multiple times but was denied. She must have resorted to self-harm as a last-ditch effort. Once admitted to the hospital, she can see family according to regulations.""Victoria is still hoping David will get her out," Isabella said with a cold laugh. "She wants to see family, right? I'm also her family. Tomorrow, I'll go see her at the hospital."The next day, Isabella got up unusually early