Seth was deeply engrossed in reviewing a contract when Edward burst through the door, his usually impeccable appearance dishevelled, tie-crooked.
"Seth," he gasped, clutching the doorframe. "You have to see this. Now." Seth looked up from his computer, irritation flickering across his face. “Edward, I'm in the middle of—" "Trust me," Edward cut him off, snatching the remote from Seth's desk. "This is more important." The huge screen on the wall came to life, flooding the room with mayhem. Seth's eyes grew wider as he saw the situation. "Is that..." he asked, springing from his chair. Edward nodded grimly. "Isabella Stone. Richard's wife." Isabella appeared on screen surrounded by reporters, microphones rammed into her face. Her hair was dishevelled and twisted. She wrapped her coat around herself like an armour. The camera draws near and you can see the fear and helplessness when she tries to deal with the interrogative inquiries being thrown at her. One of the reporters asked, “Have you been diagnosed with a chronic mental disorder? Is that why you never granted interviews?" Isabella's voice quavered but held firm. "That's not true! I don't have any mental illness. Please, stop filming me!" She raised a hand to shield her face, but the cameras kept rolling. Isabella's face paled visibly. She cracked her mouth to speak, but closed it again, evidently unable to find the appropriate words. Her expression was one of desperation. Another reporter pounced. "Then how do you explain your in-laws accusing you of abusing them? If it's not due to an inability to control yourself, then are you doing it intentionally?" "I... I would never abuse anyone," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "There must be some misunderstanding." The reporters sensed blood in the water and pressed harder. A woman with sharp features and a red blazer shouldered her way to the front. "Sources say you've been seen arguing violently with your husband in public. Can you comment on the state of your marriage?" Isabella's eyes widened in shock. She took a step back, nearly stumbling. "That's... that's private. Please, I do not wish to talk about my marriage. The questions continued, each one more invasive than the last. A young man lifted a tablet high above the crowd and yelled, "Is it true that you've been self-medicating with illegal substances?" Isabella's composure finally cracked. Tears surged in her eyes, and she shook her head violently. "No! All of these are fallacies. Why are you doing this?" Seth clenched his jaw. "What in the fiery pit is going on?" Edward shook his head, disbelief etched on his face. "Richard is accusing Isabella of being mentally unstable and abusing him and his family. It's all over the major networks." "When did this happen?" Seth demanded, his eyes never leaving the screen. "The story broke about an hour ago," Edward replied. "It's been escalating ever since. Look." On-screen, the barrage continued. "Did your husband ask for a divorce a long time ago, and now after signing the agreement, you're backing out?" More vehicles screeched to a halt, camera flashes adding to the frenzy. Isabella covered her face, her words lost in the noise. A particularly aggressive reporter shouted, "Do you admit to trying to harm your cousin and her child out of jealousy?" At this, Isabella's face contorted in a mix of horror and disbelief. She stumbled backwards, nearly losing her footing. A security guard materialized beside her, attempting to create a barrier between her and the press. "No!" Isabella cried out, her voice raw with emotion. "I would never... How could you even suggest...?" She couldn't finish her sentence, overcome by the accusation. The security guard began to usher her away, but the cameras followed, capturing her distress from every angle. As they retreated, Isabella turned back once more, her eyes searching the sea of faces as if looking for a single sympathetic soul. "There's more to this story," she said, her voice barely audible over the commotion. "Please, someone has to listen. This isn't what it seems." Edward turned away, disgust twisting his features. "Abuse? Seriously? What are they talking about? Those two old folks are always so arrogant; they don't look abused at all." Seth didn't respond immediately. His mind raced back to the party where he had last seen Isabella. He remembered how she was and how distant she seemed with Richard. Something was not stacking up. "This isn't appropriate," Seth mumbled, stiffening his fists." Richard's playing a dangerous game." "What do you mean?" Alex asked, turning back to face Seth. Seth ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his voice. "Think about it, Edward. We've met Richard's parents. Do either of them strike you as the type to quietly endure abuse?" Alex snorted. "Hardly. They're more likely to be the abusers than the abused." "Exactly," Seth nodded. "And Isabella...I met her at that party, remember? She didn't strike me as unstable or abusive. Quite the opposite actually." "So what's Richard's angle?" Edward mused. Before Seth could answer, his phone's loud ringtone echoed throughout the room. He frowned as he peered at the caller ID. "It's Louis," he said to Edward before answering. "Louis, what's going on?" Edward watched as Seth's expression shifted from confusion to intense interest. "I have some suspicious information about Richard's family," Louis's voice came through clearly in the quiet office. "I know you've been keeping an eye on this company. Are you interested in following up on this potential case?" Seth's eyebrow arched. "Go on," he said, his voice low and focused. As Louis spoke, Seth's eyes widened. When the call ended, he turned to Edward, a determined glint in his eye. "I think we've just found our 'fatal blow'," Seth said, his voice steady. "But I'm going to need your help with a few things." Edward straightened, all business now. "What do you need?" Seth began pacing, his mind working overtime. “First, intensify the investigation into their company. I want every financial record, every contract, every whispered rumour." Edward nodded. "Our team is already on it. We'll double down." "Good," Seth continued. "Next, we need to dig deep into Isabella's background. Her work history, her contributions to the company, and any contracts she might have signed. And I want to know about her relationship with Richard's family before all this." "You think Richard's trying to push her out?" Edward asked. Seth's expression darkened. "I think it's worse than that. If what Louis told me is true, Richard might be trying to discredit Isabella to protect himself." "Protect himself from what?" Seth paused, choosing his words carefully. “Louis mentioned some suspicions about them, and if Isabella has access to that information...'" Alex's eyes widened in understanding. "He's trying to destroy her credibility before she can expose him." "Exactly," Seth nodded. "They're not just trying to avert a scandal; they're concealing potential crimes." “Jesus,” Edward whispered “One more thing," Seth said, turning to Edward. "See if you can find a way to contact Isabella directly but be discreet. She might need legal representation, and I want to offer our services." Edward raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's wise? Getting personally involved in this mess?" Seth's expression was resolute. "It's the right thing to do, Edward. And it might just be the key to bringing Richard down once and for all." Edward nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "It's about time someone stood up to the Stones. Let's do this."Isabella sat cautiously on the brink of the leather sofa, her hands clasped firmly in her lap. The busy law firm hallway felt cramped, with each glance in her direction expressing implicit condemnation. She approached the receptionist's desk for what felt like the hundredth time. "Excuse me," Isabella said meekly. "I was wondering if—" The receptionist interrupted her in the middle of her statement with a fake smile. ”Sorry Mrs. Stone, but like I told you earlier, all our attorneys in the firm are busy at the moment, if you would like to leave your details we can fit you in.” “Please,” Isabella said softly. This is on the emergency level, all I need is to talk to someone for a few minutes. The face of the receptionist remained static with the same charming smile as earlier. "I hear you but it’s beyond my control. Perhaps you'd like to try another firm?" Isabella, beaten down, returned to her seat. Her phone buzzed non-stop in her purse. She pulled it out with shaking hands, shud
They reached a shiny towering building and Seth pointed at the door.“This is us,” he told her, gesturing to the doorway. No words were exchanged as they both rode the elevator together to Seth’s office. Isabella couldn't help but wonder, Why a man who had barely interacted with her would offer his assistance when all others had abandoned her. As soon as the door closed behind them, Seth gestured for Isabella to sit on one of the chairs opposite his desk. He undid his tie a little and looked her straight in the eyes, though his face seemed rather formal but benign. “Mrs Stone or may I say Isabella?” She merely looked up and nodded. He continued “I am sure you are quite puzzled as to why I have decided to take up your case.” Biting her lip, Isabella’s hands fisted in her lap. She nodded her head slightly and whispered, “The question had crossed my mind.” Seth propped his forearms on the surface of the desk, adopting a more serious posture. "Okay Isabella, let me be blunt with you.
Richard and Isabella pulled up to his parents' grand house. It was their fifth wedding anniversary, but Richard hadn't said a word about it all day. As they got out of the car, Isabella tried one last time to remind him. "Richard," she said softly, "do you know what day it is?" He checked his watch. "It's Friday. Come on, we're already late for the celebration dinner." Isabella's heart sank. He had forgotten completely. She had planned a special dinner at home, but Richard insisted they come to his parents' house instead. Now she was stuck at the last place she wanted to be on her anniversary. "Hurry up," Richard snapped as he strode to the front door. Isabella followed behind, holding back tears. This was not how she imagined celebrating five years of marriage. But she put on a brave face as Richard rang the doorbell, preparing herself for another difficult evening with her in-laws. Isabella's pulse raced as she heard footsteps coming from inside. The door slid wide, showing Mrs
It wasn't until late at night that Richard entered the room, reeking of alcohol. He threw his clothes across the room before collapsing on the bed. Isabella sat in the dimly lighted room and silently picked up the scattered clothes. As she folded them, she saw a lipstick stain on Richard's shirt collar. Her hands trembled as she turned towards him. "Richard, what's this stain on your shirt?" Richard grumbled and barely lifted his head. "I don’t know, Isabella. I was busy networking all night." Isabella's heart sank. Richard shot her a sharp look. "You know, I was left to socialize alone while you vanished. Where did you go? Did you return without me for some reason you don’t want me to know about?" Isabella's eyes filled with tears. "I stayed at the party for as long as I could but you were nowhere to be seen.” Richard sat up, glaring at her. "You could have at least tried to find me. Instead, you made it seem like you were up to something." Isabella took a shaky breath,
"Did you just say 'Eliza?'" Her voice was barely above a whisper, trembling with shock and dawning horror. Richard’s face turned pale. “Isabella, wait. I can explain.” “Explain what, Richard? That you’ve been fantasising about sleeping with my cou—” Isabella paused, then stared at Richard as if she was trying to read his mind. “Are you sleeping with Eliza?” Richard stared at her without saying a word.“Oh my God! You are sleeping with my cousin.” “I didn’t say that,” Richard replied defensively. “But you didn’t deny it either. Oh God. Richard, that is my cousin.” Isabella’s voice cracked as tears streamed down her cheeks. Richard’s expression hardened into a sneer. “Well, if you could have given me a child, this wouldn’t have happened.” Isabella felt a surge of anger. “You can’t blame me for your infidelity. Our inability to have a child has nothing to do with your philandering dick.” “Isa, watch your tone, don't you dare speak to me in such a tone!” Richard snapped, his voice
Isabella was heartbroken. She curled up in a corner and cried her eyes out. She couldn't sleep throughout the night. "She was probably a bad person in her former life to deserve this kind of fate," she figured She had been trying to reach Richard for hours, but no one answered. “Richard! Richard!” She called out repeatedly, but no one responded.How much time had passed? It should be evening by now. Wasn't the butler and the housekeeper around? Isabella felt enveloped by an endless darkness. The entire house was eerily silent, like a tomb, like her marriage.Isabella recalled how, over the years, she had obeyed Richard's every wish. Since Richard didn't like her to be in the spotlight, she appeared rarely in public. Richard often said the media were opportunistic and advised her to avoid journalists, so she kept quiet. Richard didn't like her interacting with others, claiming it made him jealous, so she devoted all her time to him.Now, the illusion shattered around her. Richard's co
Isabella stared at Richard, shocked by his harsh tone. "What are you talking about?" she asked, panic in her voice. "I give you my trust, my love, my youth, and even my career, and now you say this to me?"Richard's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Well, I'm not done talking, your family has been taking money from me for years. In your name and if you must leave you have to pay up. You don't believe me? Let's call them."After a revealing phone call with Isabella's brother James, who coldly dismissed her concerns, Isabella's hand shook. She turned to Richard, her eyes blazing with a mix of fury and anguish. "You've turned my own family against me," she whispered. Richard shrugged, seemingly bored with the drama "I merely gave them what they wanted. Money talks, Isabella.""So what now?" she asked, her voice hollow."Do as you're told or repay every cent I've invested in you and your parasitic family."Isabella laughed bitterly. "And where am I supposed to get that kind of money? You
The steady tapping of fingers on the keyboard filled the quiet office. Seth Donovan the youthful thirty-two-year-old chief executive officer, was acknowledged as one of the most eloquent legal minds in the industry. A soft knock interrupted his focus. “Come in,” he barked without even lifting his head. He was so engrossed in his monitor. The door opened and Edward entered the room dressed in casual clothes; he was Seth’s right hand and a reliable friend. Edward ran a hand through his hair, a habit Seth recognized as a sign of stress. "We've got a situation, Seth. It's about Stone Enterprises." Seth leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening. "Richard Stone. What's he up to now?" Edward dropped a thick file on Seth's desk. "It's worse than we thought.” Seth glanced through the file, his frown becoming more profound with each page. The headlines screamed accusations: "Toxic Work Environment at Donovan Corp," "Top Talent Fleeing Seth Donovan's Sinking Ship." "It gets worse,