"Who the f**king hell are you?" Isabella yelled once more. But even at that, the voice on the other end of the call took it as a joke, and immediately, the voice laughed like a cheesy cat amused by the death of a thieving rat. "Hahaha... why are you so eager? Did you offend someone?" The voice asked, while the voice still kept laughing amidst her words and continued, "I will give you two options to pick from." Am I the reporter? Or am I Alexa, the most brilliant Artificial Intelligence in the world?" It did not matter what the voice said at this moment. Isabella was not in for this anymore, and thus, she only yelled back like a bullied kid who was tired of all the bullshit happening to her suddenly amidst the onlookers around her. "F**k you, and I am going to hang up the call right now if you won't tell me who you are." "Are you threatening me? I should be the one to do the threatening. So, let's start again." The voice responded. Even so, if Isabella would respond to that, it wa
Even when Alexa continued to talk, Isabella termed everything she said nonsensical words as she paid little to no attention to it. Hence, even when Alexa expected a response from her, Isabella only gave her perfect silence as she only focused on the road.Now, at this moment, Isabella has arrived at Havenbrook and indeed at the FlavourFusion Bistro restaurant where her father was to meet her.The restaurant exuded a charming ambiance that seamlessly blended indoor and outdoor spaces. At the top of the building, which was painted a shining gray color, Isabella saw that the name of the restaurant was perfectly designed in a 3D design, which read "FlavourFusion Bistro."Similarly, the restaurant was at the tip of the road, with passersby going to and fro in front of the restaurant. Among those who walked to and fro were a few who decided to grab a seat at the outdoor spaces of the restaurant and, hence, placed their orders with one of the waiters while they conversed.Another thing Isabe
Without further delay, Isabella listened to Alexa and walked to the trash can near her car like a detective closing in on a vital clue. Hence, she opened it and searched inside, seeing a scarf just as Alexa had told her she would.Immediately, she turned to the left and glanced around like a wary fox assessing its surroundings. Seeing that no one noticed her, she used the scarf on her hair to cover her head, concealing her face as if it were a secret.With the same determination, at this very moment, she put on the sunglasses she had picked up from her car trunk. And she looked like a blind woman intent on keeping her eyes hidden without revealing her irises.Once again, she glanced at her dad from a distance, observing how he continued to look both to the right and left, obviously anticipating her arrival like a ship spotting a lighthouse in the distance. Without hesitation, she began to walk, approaching him with quick strides like a sprinter nearing the finish line."Isabella, if y
Browsing their eyes through the food list on the menu, as if deciphering hidden messages in a cryptic code, they found that each food on the list cost more than one hundred and fifty dollars. Only appetizers or small plates have their prices starting at around ten to twenty dollars—such as small seafood dishes, artisanal salads, or unique appetizer options.Isabella, knowing that she still had money left in her account, looked at her father from the top edge of the menu to see if he had already placed his order, perhaps waiting for her to finish.However, when she looked up, she saw that Alexander had not made an order. In fact, he had been staring at her all along. And upon realizing that Isabella had caught him staring, he smiled and then covered his face completely with the menu book, resembling a shy kid afraid of being stared at by strangers."Dad?" Isabella called at this moment, her voice ringing aloud like a bell ringing through a quiet chapel. Immediately, she snatched the me
"But what about you? Where will you live until everything is sorted out?" Isabella asked, stretching her hands towards her father's hand, holding him, and looking directly into his face. Alexander, on the other hand, said nothing immediately. He directed his gaze at how Isabella held his left hand and then gently placed the cup of coffee on the table. He then took hold of Isabella's other hand. As they now both held each other's hands, they gazed at each other like an emotional storm. The gentle breeze of poignancy fell upon them, and with this, their eyes teared up suddenly as the situation turned into a mournful cry of a father and a daughter who might not set eyes on each other again. Suddenly, Alexander released his grip on one of Isabella's hands. "People may be watching," he said hurriedly, forcing a smile that seemed to be pulled out of a river of tears. He continued, "Although your mother took the beach house from me and other houses elsewhere, I will be fine, Isabella. Do n
"How can you say you know nothing about the money siphoned into a private account by your ex-husband? You literally shared the same bed every night when he came back from work. You served him breakfast every morning before he went to work. He was your partner, and how come you're claiming this?" The journalist asked, crossing her legs and turning to face Victorial more appropriately.The journalist had a poised appearance that exuded confidence and authority. She wore a well-fitted charcoal gray pantsuit with a tailored blazer that accentuated her figure and a crisp white blouse underneath. The straight-legged pants she wore complemented the ensemble with a touch of modernity.Her demeanor was approachable and engaging, as reflected in her warm smile and attentive posture. She had a natural yet polished makeup look, featuring neutral tones that enhanced her features without overshadowing them. Her eyes were defined with subtle eyeliner and mascara, while a soft, rosy lipstick added a
"But dad, how could she say all of those lies?" Isabella exclaimed, her voice sounding in disappointment at the way her mother had confidently sat before the camera filming her and said all of those things for the news. And at once, as Alexander heard her only say,"Your mother finds every way to cut ties with us, and from there she would not be judged by the public when she walked on the street, when she ate in a fancy restaurant, when she drove on the main road, when she wore her fancy dress, or when she befriended another man. I have sacrificed everything for her happiness and given her everything she ever wanted: her dream car, her dream house, and so on. but she stabbed me in the back. However, leave her; we will come back to her. First, our challenge remains Ethan Mark, because it was because of him that everything started. He was the devil who visited us, and now we have to take him down.""Come closer!" Alexander said further, and at this moment Alexander whispered to Isabella
As soon as they finished whispering to each other, Alexander's stomach began to make sounds. This was evidence of his hungry stomach, like a beggar on the street who hardly gets enough food to satisfy himself.Isabella, on the other hand, heard this and realized that her father was hungry yet refused to dig into the food first.When Alexander saw that his stomach had given him away, he crafted a silly smile on his face, similar to a mischievous wink from a guilty secret.Even so, Isabella said nothing. The only thing she did was gently pick up the fork and knife beside the food and dig in.When she took a bite of the food, she looked at her father, expecting that he would have already done the same. However, she was disappointed because Alexander only stared at her like a statue, lacking the ability to move even an inch.But slowly and eventually, his eyebrows lifted in a way that he expected a response from Isabella, which Isabella failed to understand, similar to a difficult equatio