Chapter 30
Isabella couldn’t help but shiver instinctively. Confused, she glanced at Samuel, only to find his gaze had grown even colder than before. ‘What have I said wrong? she wondered.
In the next moment, the car suddenly surged forward, and Samuel’s frosty voice broke the tense silence. “Queenie really deserves her fame.”
Queenie was known for her cold demeanor and aloof personality.
Isabella blinked in confusion, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Samuel’s face was an icy mask, and he didn’t respond. Just then. Isabella’s phone rang, abruptly cutting through the oppressive atmosphere in the car. She pulled out her phone and felt her heart sink at the caller ID.
“Molly? Why is she calling? Isabella thought.
After a moment’s hesitation, Isabella answered the call and spoke in a cold tone, “What do you want?”
Molly didn’t seem to mind Isabella’s attitude. Instead, her voice was friendly as she said, ‘Bella, when are you coming home?”
Isabella furrowed her brow, realizing the Stout family still hadn’t given up on marrying her off to Dominic’s son
Her expression turned frosty as she replied, “I’m not coming back.”
Samuel’s eyes darkened slightly, but he remained silent, focusing on driving.
Molly’s face fell instantly, but thinking of her plan, she managed to keep her smile. “Isabella, I—”
But before she could finish, Isabella interrupted her coldly, “And don’t call me again. With that, she hung up.
No matter what trap Molly had laid, she wouldn’t give her an ounce of opportunity.
Molly plopped down on the sofa, her phone glued to her hand. The fake smile she had moments ago was gone, replaced by at look of pure anger in her eyes.
She raised her hand and smashed the phone on the ground. The device shattered into pieces. Gritting her teeth, Molly glared at the ruined phone, infuriated That bitch!” she cursed.
Ivana, casually doing her nails, glanced up at Molly and smirked knowingly. “Got rejected, huh? I knew it.”
Isabella is too stubborn to be easily swayed, she thought.
Molly, fuming with a forced smile, said, “She may not want to come back, but she will.”
Ivana blew on her still–wet nails, a sly grin forming on her lips. “Mom, I have a plan you might want to hear.”
Molly turned to Ivana, a hint of skepticism in her eyes. “What’s your plan? Will it work?”
She knew Isabella was very stubborn.
With a mischievous smile, Ivana leaned in closer and whispered in Molly’s ear, “We can do this…
Just a few minutes later, what began as doubt transformed into a grin on Molly’s face. She poked Ivana’s forehead playfully, saying, “Not bad! I never expected you to come up with such a good idea.”
Usually, it was Molly who came up with the plans. Now, Ivana was stepping up to help–clearly, she had been well–trained.
Ivana puffed her chest with pride, saying, “Have some faith in your daughter, okay?”
They shared crafty smiles, plotting their next move.
Isabella ended the call with a heavy sigh and stared out of the car window, her surroundings thick with an icy tension. She knew why Molly had called. Molly just wanted her to go back and get married. Hudson had never treated her as his
Chapter 30
daughter. To him, Ivana was his precious gem. How could he even consider marrying her off to Dominic’s son, a guy nearly forty who was known for his playboy ways? No father but Hudson could pull off something so outrageous.
She tightened her grip on her phone, trying to contain her rising emotions.
Samuel, sitting next to her, turned to look at her. Despite the chaos back at the Howerton residence, Isabella had maintained her composure, but now she was radiating a sense of despair.
“What’s going on?” Samuel asked, his brow furrowing with concern
Isabella hesitated for a moment. The last time Hudson had hit her. Samuel had asked about it too, and she hadn’t said a word. But she figured there was nothing to hide now
“My dad wants me to marry Dominic’s son,” she said, her voice tinged with weariness.
Samuel’s expression darkened instantly. “What a great idea your dad has,” he said with a sneer.
Cameron, Dominic’s son, had a reputation for being a womanizer, frequently spotted in all the top nightclubs in Draxenport. It was an infamous joke in their circles that he would spend 1.5 million just for a single night with a woman, only to send that same woman to the hospital the next morning.
Isabella glanced at him, a bitter smile creeping onto her face–he knew who she was talking about. “Yeah, it’s him,‘ she said. Then she recounted the incident when her father hit her, feeling like just speaking about it added to the cold atmosphere in
the car.
Samuel’s expression turned frosty, Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes, jolting Isabella in her seat. He pulled over to the side of the road, turning to look at her. “I’m your husband; you should talk to me about things like this,” he said.
Isabella was taken aback. There had been few people who stood up for her over the years, and she typically avoided showing her wounds to anyone. She lowered her gaze, hiding the mixed emotions swirling in her mind. At that moment, she felt a flicker of warmth.
When she met his gaze again, she managed to hide her feelings, but her eyes were filled with gratitude.
“I know you care about me,” she paused, her expression turning serious as she said, “I don’t want to rely on you too much.” She was acutely aware that if Samuel intervened, the matter would be resolved quickly. Hudson would be thrilled to attach himself to the powerful Howerton family. With Hudson’s character, he’d leech off them like a parasite. She would never give him that opportunity.
Samuel’s face fell, a heavy silence enveloping them.
Isabella felt a flicker of realization about Samuel’s earlier words. He wanted a real partner, not just someone who was simply hanging around. She had always doubted this; she thought Samuel could have anyone he wanted, someone far better than she
was
The atmosphere in the car grew increasingly tense, and Isabella tried to break the silence again. “Your family already has a negative opinion of me. If 1 rely on you for everything, they’ll always have a problem with me.”
Samuel looked momentarily stunned.
Isabella managed a smile, and her voice was steady. “During this last trip to the Howerton residence, it was clear how your sister and father feel. They see me as someone who’s supported by you. I don’t want them to think less of you.” “Besides, if I can’t resolve even this small issue, won’t that make me exactly what Sarah called me–a useless burden?‘ she thought.
She held Samuel’s gaze calmly. A flicker of surprise crossed Samuel’s features, realization dawning on him. It turned out he had misunderstood her all this time.
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