Chapter 244 In the Emergency Room
"I'm Isabella; I'm Seb's fiancée."
Isabella's voice echoed throughout the hall. Suddenly, the closed door opened. Seb and Jack appeared there.
Isabella's eyes were red. She adjusted the microphone and continued, "I can prove that the rumors outside are false. Mr. Landon and my fiancé Seb have always had a good father-son relationship."
Isabella was astonished. She clutched the microphone and spoke urgently, but the voice coming from the microphone did not match what she was saying.
She was clearly accusing Charles, wanting to tell everyone that Charles was a despicable person who not only harmed Seb but also kidnapped her daughter, Sweetie. However, the words coming from the microphone were the exact opposite.
Isabella stared at the black microphone, stunned. She finally realized that the microphone had been cut off, and the subsequent words were controlled by Charles.
Isabella yanked away from the microphone, and with it, the sound from the mic vanished. An agonizing screech replaced it.
The noise pierced Isabella's eardrums. She glanced down at the audience, her gaze skimming over the crowd to the distant door where Seb stood, his face expressionless.
"This isn't right." Isabella rushed to the microphone, but her voice was too faint and was soon drowned out by the roaring applause.
"This isn't right, this isn't right. Charles is a bad man, he's a villain!" Isabella surged towards Charles, but he seized her hands.
As she was standing face-to-face with Charles, Isabella's expression was one of fury while Charles wore an insincere smile.
In a tone only the two of them could hear, Charles murmured, "Isabella, thank you."
Isabella glared at him, infuriated. "Charles, aren't you afraid of going to hell for this?"
Charles didn't care what Isabella said. Instead, he laughed heartily. "Isabella, only the useless cling to hope for divine retribution. After everything that's happened, you still believe in the idea of bad guys getting their comeuppance?"
Isabella was stunned.
Indeed, if there were any justice, Charles should have long been condemned. Yet he continued to thrive and cause havoc.
"Isabella, take a look around. How do you plan to explain this to Seb?" Charles's laugh echoed ominously in her ears.
Charles had already let go of Isabella's hands, but she stood on the stage as if bound by invisible ropes, unable to move. She didn't even dare to look back, afraid of seeing Seb's expression and the hypocritical faces of the audience.
Miley came on stage and pulled Isabella down.
The bidding continued as if no one cared about what had happened earlier.
Isabella sat on a bench, her hands and feet cold.
Miley rubbed her fingers. "Bella, what happened? Why did you say those things?"
Isabella's eyes wavered, her lips moved, but she was at a loss for words.
She thought, 'Now, everyone thinks those words came from me. What about Seb?
'Everyone with eyes thinks so, let alone Seb who can't see but could only hear.
'Did Seb feel heartbroken when he heard those words?'
A strong sense of guilt washed over Isabella, making her feel like she was suffocating.
Zaire stood nearby and spoke up, "Did Charles threaten you?"
Isabella shook her head.
This time, he didn't. It was purely a trap.
She thought, 'Miley has warned me, but in my fervor, I still fell into the trap. I'm so stupid!'
Disappointment appeared in Zaire's eyes. "Isabella, are you aware that your words could drive Seb into utter despair?"
Isabella closed her eyes and finally regained some strength. She slowly stood up and walked out.
Miley reached out to stop her, but Zaire intervened.
Watching Isabella stumble out in a daze, Miley urged, "Isabella's in a dangerous state. I should follow her."
Zaire tightened his grip on Miley's wrist. "Dangerous? She's the real danger!"
"Zaire." Maire called him.
"Leave her alone!" Zaire said angrily, then added, "Let her calm down for a while. Following her now won't help. She's probably feeling worse than we are."
Isabella walked out, feeling dizzy. She managed to walk a few steps before collapsing.
A pair of hands reached out from behind and caught her.
Then, Isabella fell into an embrace.
Isabella smelled a strange scent. She struggled to open her eyes and saw a person she disliked.
"Leo, let go of me." Isabella tried to push him away, but her hands were weak. She only managed a slight push before falling into unconsciousness.
When Isabella woke up, she was lying on a round bed. Isabella sat up, the blanket sliding off her.
She saw Leo sitting at the foot of the bed.
Leo sat there quietly, holding a half-full glass of wine. Hearing the noise, he looked up at Isabella.
Isabella got out of bed and found her shoes missing.
She had to walk barefoot on the cold floor towards the door.
Leo didn't stop her, not even getting up from his seat.
Isabella reached the door and was about to open it when the doorbell rang.
Meanwhile, Leo's voice came from behind. "You'd better see who's outside first."
Isabella hesitated, her fingers on the lock curling instinctively.
Then she looked through the peephole and saw Jack.
Outside, Jack seemed to sense her gaze and looked up, as if making eye contact with Isabella through the peephole.
At that moment, the door lock felt burning hot. Isabella pulled her hand back, her back covered in cold sweat.
She glanced back at Leo. "What do you mean by that?"
Leaning casually against the wall, Leo replied, "Exactly what you think it means."
Isabella frowned, her gaze sharpening with disdain. "Using the same old trick over and over—don't you find it pathetic?"
"Not really," Leo answered earnestly, "Whether it's pathetic or not doesn't matter. What matters is how Seb will see you if you walk out that door right now."
He swirled his drink and took slow, deliberate steps toward her. "Do you think, after everything that happened today, he'll still trust you?"
Isabella clenched her teeth.
As Leo approached, Isabella suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
Leo's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't flinch. He held onto his glass tightly and took the blow squarely. The sound of the slap was sharp and clear.
After delivering the slap, Isabella made a move to open the door.
She thought, 'I'm sure Seb would believe me!
'I'd explain everything to Seb, piece by piece.'
Leo tilted his head, touched his cheek with his tongue, and smiled faintly, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention—Seb and Jack were also in the emergency room that day."
Isabella froze, spinning around abruptly. "What did you just say?"
