She was already tired of pretending with Charlotte, bluntly pushing her hand away and saying in an indifferent tone, ‘Thank you for your kindness, Auntie and elder sister, but, Mr. Luke and I are not quite compatible.’
By saying this, Isabella had already drawn a clear line. After speaking, she took off the white jade bracelet from her wrist and thrust it into Charlotte’s hand.
“Please trouble my sister to return the bracelet. No work, no gain. I can’t dare to accept such a precious gift.”
Victoria hadn’t expected her refusal at all. Even though she was adept at disguising her emotions, her face immediately changed. She thought Isabella, a woman who had been used by others, had even given birth to an illegitimate child. Being able to marry into the Miller family was already a miraculous opportunity earned over several lifetimes. How dare she refuse!
“What did you say?” Even Caleb was surprised, raising his eyebrows.
“Are your ears working fine? Do I need to repeat myself? You brought me here for matchmaking today, right? Since it’s matchmaking, there are matches and mismatches. I don’t see anything remarkable about Luke.”
Caleb had done so many shameless things that Isabella felt there was no need to give such a person any face.
Caleb’s smile gradually stiffened; his expression grew somewhat sinister. This was the first time a woman had disrespected him like this. If it weren’t for the public setting, he might have exploded in rage.
The atmosphere turned awkward. Victoria hurriedly took hold of David’s arm, pretending to be wronged, and coquettishly said, “Daddy, look at Isabella. Caleb and I mean well, but she doesn’t appreciate it. What’s wrong with Luke in her eyes?”
Isabella looked at Victoria coldly. She really wanted to thank her for her kindness. Was it kindness? It was pure nonsense.
However, Victoria was indeed a smart person. Realizing she couldn’t handle Isabella, she pushed David forward as a weapon.
Sure enough, prompted by Victoria, David exploded on the spot. “You don’t like Luke? Who do you think you are to dislike him!”
He pointed his finger at Isabella’s nose. “Isabella, let me tell you, marrying into the Miller family is your blessing. Whether you want to marry or not, you will!”
Isabella tightly clenched her hands at her sides. After a while, she suppressed the urge to retort.
This was the era of marriage freedom. She didn’t believe that if she disagreed, they could force her to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Moreover, if she wanted to break off the engagement, she had plenty of ways. It wasn’t necessary to confront David and undo all her previous efforts.
Isabella didn’t argue back. David thought she had complied, and his expression became somewhat better.
“There’s nothing for you to do; you can go back first. Your aunt will handle the engagement with the Miller family.” David said again.
The union of two major families was no small matter, involving many aspects, such as betrothal gifts, dowries, banquet expenses, and gifts of money. If Charlotte wanted to manipulate things behind the scenes, Isabella would have to take a loss.
Isabella could vaguely see a smirk on Charlotte’s lips.
She couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Let her be happy for a while; after all, she has plenty of ways to prevent this marriage from happening.
“That’s troubling, Auntie.”
“No trouble, I’ve seen you grow up, seen you marry well…”
Isabella’s patience had already worn thin. She didn’t wait for her to finish her words, turning around and leaving, Charlotte was left stranded on the spot.
David had a meeting in the afternoon and had to rush back immediately. Caleb personally escorted him, showing a respectful attitude, seeming like a dutiful son-in-law. David was incredibly satisfied.
After David’s car left, Charlotte and Victoria, mother and daughter, finally got into the red Maserati.
Neither of them had a good expression, both enraged by Isabella.
“What a lack of gratitude! A second-hand item played by others, thinking she’s a goddess, dared to look down on the Miller family.” Charlotte angrily exclaimed.
Victoria didn’t rush to drive, instead, she lit a slender ladylike cigarette and elegantly took a couple of puffs. In order to cater to Mrs. Miller, she smiled, her cheeks aching slightly.
If it weren’t for Caleb, she would never have bothered with such thankless tasks.
“Even if Isabella is admired by many, she’s still the heir of the Harris family, born into nobility,” Victoria said with a thin puff of smoke, speaking in a sarcastic tone.
From childhood to adulthood, if there was one thing Victoria envied about Isabella, it was her being born into a prestigious family.
Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle after hearing this. “What’s the use of being born into nobility! She’s just like her mother, high-minded but unfortunate. Eleanor was ruined by your father’s schemes, and where can Isabella possibly end up in the future!”
Victoria looked slightly surprised at her mother’s words. “Ruined? Mom, what exactly did Dad do?”
Charlotte’s expression stiffened slightly, regretting her slip of tongue. “This matter, only your father and I know. Don’t mention it to anyone else, or we, mother and daughter, will be in big trouble.”
“Mom, do you think I’m so unaware of the seriousness? You still don’t trust me. Please tell me quickly, what happened?” Victoria was very curious.
“Back then, Isabella’s grandfather’s death wasn’t an accident; it was caused by your father,” Charlotte said slowly.
The Allen family had hereditary heart disease, and Mr. Allen was almost always carrying medication. At that time, he had a dispute with David, and during the argument, he suddenly had a heart attack. Mr. Allen accidentally dropped his medicine on the floor, and before he could pick it up, David kicked it away.
Because he didn’t take his medicine in time, he struggled and died in front of David.
After hearing this, Victoria couldn’t help but be shocked. “How did you know about this? Did Dad tell you?”
“How could he? Your father is the most suspicious person! He accidentally let it slip while drunk,” Charlotte replied.
Victoria fell silent for a moment, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if planning something. After a brief pause, she spoke again, “Mom, this secret might not necessarily be a bad thing for us. Perhaps one day it could help us or become our lifeline.”
After saying this, Victoria flicked the burning tip of her slender cigarette out of the window and reached out to turn the steering wheel.