Isabella's father said nothing but held a fierce gaze at Isabella as he gave her the phone.Her eyes widened in shock as the image flickered on the screen. In an instant, she was transported back to that fateful day, the memory searing through her mind, threatening to unravel everything she held dear—her world, her future, and her very sense of self.Her world tilted, the room spinning around her. She heard a strange, keening sound and realised distantly that it was coming from her own throat.Her father then suddenly snatched the phone away from her, his chest heaving with rage and something else. Something worse: disappointment and disgust.Her cheeks burned with shame as she lowered her gaze, unable to face him or anyone else in the room. She stared at the scuffed tiles, tracing the cracks with her eyes as if they might reveal an escape route."You're useless." Her father's voice echoed in her mind, every syllable a dagger. She squeezed her eyes shut as she regretted her careles
Isabella hung her head, unable to meet anyone's gaze as the heated argument between her father and Alex's parents escalated. Shame burned her cheeks, and disappointment settled like a lead weight in her stomach. This was her chance—her one opportunity to prove her father wrong, to show him she could excel. She had been so sure of herself and confident in her abilities. But now, as the adults' voices rose in anger, that prospect crumbled before her eyes as any hopes of redemption slipped through her fingers like grains of sand, leaving her adrift in a sea of humiliation and defeat."Like he said, you should leave this house today!" Alex's father spat before storming out of there with his wife in annoyance.There were now three in the room: Isabella, her father, and her stepmother."I was always pushing you, saying those words about you, thinking that would motivate you to accomplish this small mission, but you still ended up disappointing me, you loser."She could not dare look at her
Since Derek had failed in his mission, he decided to meet with Santiago to inform him.To Derek's surprise, when he told Santiago, Santaigo laughed hysterically."So why are you here exactly?" Santiago asked him.Derek struggled to find the words, afraid to reveal the true reason for his visit."I...I..." he stammered, his voice catching in his throat.Santiago grew impatient and furious. "Are you deaf? Can't you speak?" he demanded.Finally, Derek mustered the courage to say what he came for. "I was thinking that... perhaps the information I've gathered while on the mission is enough for whatever you plan to do with Mr. Thornton, sir."Santiago chuckled, amused by what he considered audacity from Derek. "Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten our initial agreement?"It was why Derek was initially reluctant to spill it out due to their original agreement, which stated that he would abort the mission only if Santiago explicitly ordered him to do so. "I know, sir. Please. I know I've
After many pleas from Alex, Henry decided to speak with Emily this time in order to convince her to give Alex a chance. When Henry showed up at her doorstep, she was surprised by how familiar his face was. "Who are you?" She asked him. "Before I introduce myself to you, can I come in?" She scrunched her face at the request, wondering how he expected her to comply with such a thing when she didn't know who he was. "There's something I wish to discuss with you." He added. She told him why she could not do as he had requested, and he asked that they talk outside. "Why can't we do that here?" Her brows were furrowed in suspicion. "I just think it will be better if we do it while seated. It's a serious conversation." Henry explained. Because she was sure that she had seen him before, she decided that they talk outside the house's entrance. "So, what is it that you want to discuss with me?" She asked him immediately after they had sat on a chair. "Before I begin, you re
In a calculated move to force Alex's hand and put him in a difficult situation, Santiago posted a scandalous video of Derek and Isabella having s*x with each other.Alex's world crumbled as the video played before his eyes. "What sort of recklessness is this? How could this happen?" He clutched his head, sweat beading on his forehead, knowing the revelation would rip open old wounds. "I'm still trying to recover from the past, and now this?"Convinced Isabella orchestrated the video's release as revenge for their breakup, he reached for his phone as he dialled her number.Meanwhile, Isabella had also stumbled upon the shocking clip, her mind reeling as she grappled with its existence. Memories flooded back, transporting her to the day the video was recorded.***Flashback***Weeks after moving into Alex's home as his fiancée, Isabella received an urgent call from Derek to meet him at a hotel room.She found Derek pacing anxiously immediately after she entered."Isabella, I need your
Derek forced his way in despite Santiago's secretary initially denying him entry, much to Derek's surprise. As he entered, he was taken aback by the fierce expression on Santiago's face, realising that Santiago had indeed instructed the secretary not to allow him in."I'm sorry, sir. I tried to call the guards to stop him, but—" the secretary began, her words tumbling out in a breathless rush.Santiago raised his hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. His stern gaze didn't waver."Leave," he ordered sternly."I'm sorry, sir," she apologised meekly.But his eyes flashed with rage. "Are you deaf?!" he roared, his voice thundering through the office.She flinched, her shoulders hunching as she turned and scurried out of the room."I can't believe you could get the money so quick." Santiago chuckled after she had left."It's so obvious you care for her. That's nice." He applauded Derek.Derek moved to take a seat, but before he could lower himself into the chair, Santiago fixed him with a
Alex was determined to reconcile with Emily for two reasons: firstly, because Henry had intentionally distanced himself until Alex made amends, and secondly, because he genuinely wanted to rekindle their relationship from where it had abruptly ended.He realised that to achieve this, he needed to demonstrate his sincere desire for Emily and prove that there would be no more obstacles to their reunion. This meant publicly and officially ending his marriage with Isabella.He decided to announce the end of his marriage at the annual press conference, where the company's accomplishments and news would be shared with the public. He was certain that Isabella's leaked intimate video would be brought up during the event."You've been avoiding commenting on the leaked video of your wife that was posted online several days ago. Your wife has also been unavailable to share her side of the story. Would you take this opportunity to clarify the situation regarding the video for us and everyone else
Santiago was hopeless on what to do next to hurt Alex, as he had run out of options, realising that the clips Derek had sent to him were now useless due to the revelation he had made.The revelation left Santiago with a single remaining avenue of hope—the mole he had planted among the shareholders of Alex's company. "What's our next move?" the mole asked, his tone grave. "He meant every word at that meeting. The threats carried real weight. He's not playing defensively anymore like before."Santiago's fingers brushed his chin, the strands of his beard catching the light as he swivelled his chair, his brow furrowed in contemplation. After a moment's pause, he opened his mouth to respond, having weighed their options carefully."I honestly didn't expect him to make such a move. I will commend him for that brilliant decision." He chuckled."He took advantage of my mistakes by not launching my attacks at him very soon." He added.His expression now changed stern as he looked intensely