252

Meanwhile, Victoria called Isabella and arranged to meet at Pearl Beach. Isabella held the phone, sneering as she agreed.
At Pearl Beach.
The wooden boardwalk extended out over the sea. She stood at the end of the boardwalk, with the sound of the howling sea wind mixed with Victoria’s roars in her ears.
Victoria’s eyes were bloodshot as she raised her arm to hit her, but Isabella precisely caught her wrist and ruthlessly flung it away.
Fortunately, there were wooden railings on either side of the boardwalk. Victoria staggered a few steps, her back hitting one of the railings, causing her to wince in pain. Behind her, the sea was not calm, with waves surging beneath.
Isabella’s face was cold, her tone mocking. “Victoria, is this how you ask for help? If you want me to solve the Mitchell family’s funding problem, shouldn’t you be a bit nicer to me?”
“Isabella, do you still think you can fool me? You never intended to help me,” Victoria growled.
“Of course I don’t want to help you. You, your mother, and your sister all disgust me to the extreme. I thought you should have realized that by now,” Isabella retorted sarcastically, shrugging helplessly. “But I have no choice since you have something on me. I can only help you once. Don’t think you can use me like a fool.”
Victoria responded with a cold smile. “You’re still trying to deceive me? You deliberately avoided me, having no intention of helping at all. Isabella, if you won’t be kind, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Victoria’s words were clearly a threat to Isabella, who simply smiled back without a trace of fear. “Victoria, when did you become so stupid? If I wanted to avoid you, I could stay hidden for two or three months at least. How could I possibly be back after just one week? Olivia took on a job for me a month ago, and I can’t just turn it down for no reason.”
Victoria pursed her lips, seemingly assessing the truth in Isabella’s words.
“Fine, I’ll believe for now that you didn’t deliberately avoid me. So, have you solved the funding issue?”
“Not yet,” Isabella replied bluntly, without a hint of guilt. “Andrew said the Mitchell family’s broken financial chain can’t be fixed without billions, and I don’t have the power to make him cough up billions just like that. If I were that capable, the Turner family conglomerate would already be mine, and I wouldn’t have to run around filming! But don’t worry, I’ll work on him slowly.”
“The Mitchell family’s financial chain is broken? So they might go bankrupt?” Victoria, shocked, was full of self-mockery. It seemed Caleb had never told her the truth.
“Yeah, but don’t worry too much. They have a lot of assets after all,” Isabella said, offering a perfunctory reassurance.
Victoria’s face was pale and unsightly as she clutched the wooden railing tightly, her fingertips leaving scratches on it.
Of course, she had nothing to worry about since Caleb sold her for a good price, presumably solving the financial issue.
Victoria looked at Isabella standing before her, suddenly feeling a pang of jealousy.
The old Isabella had been as naive as a fool, played by them. Later, she got smarter, she married Andrew and was adored.
Victoria, on the other hand, had schemed her way into the four major families, attaching herself to Caleb, only to be sold out by her boyfriend.
In the end, man proposes, but God disposes.
Victoria smiled bitterly, turning and walking towards the other end of the boardwalk, her steps slightly unsteady, making her appear even more fragile and frail.
Isabella stood silently, watching Victoria walk away without any emotion.
She felt no sympathy for Victoria. Victoria might look weak, but no one was more ruthless and heartless than her.
Victoria probably didn’t even bat an eye when she caused her mother’s death for a role. Such a woman doesn’t deserve sympathy. Indeed, being stabbed in the back by one’s own man is a bitter experience. Although she handed the knife to Caleb, it was Caleb’s choice whether or not to stab her.
Victoria and Caleb’s relationship was always based on mutual benefit. Victoria probably didn’t love Caleb much; she just wanted to use him to elevate her status. Given that, she should have been prepared to be sacrificed at any moment. The blisters on her feet were the result of her own actions, so there was no point in blaming anyone else.
Afterward, Isabella left as well, returning to the villa in the coastal area.
When she got home, Andrew hadn’t returned yet.
Isabella spent her time reading in the study, feeling bored.
She read until she felt sleepy, but Andrew still hadn’t come back.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened, and the night enveloped the entire city. The water oaks in the yard swayed gently in the night breeze.
She took a bath, changed into her pajamas, and sat in the living room watching TV while waiting for Andrew.
At some point, she fell asleep.
Andrew returned to the villa past midnight. As he entered the courtyard, he noticed the dim light in the living room and instinctively quickened his pace.
When he walked into the living room, he saw the TV flickering, playing a late-night movie with the female lead sobbing on screen.
On the sofa opposite the TV, Isabella was curled up, her head resting on one of the sofa’s armrests, her golden hair cascading loosely around her. She was covered with a light blue blanket, exposing her fair ankles.
She slept quietly, like a well-behaved kitten.
He instinctively lightened his steps, walked over to her, and gently embraced her.
She wasn’t sleeping too deeply and woke up as soon as he held her, squinting at him.
“Andrew, you’re back,” she mumbled softly, obediently snuggling into his chest, her arms loosely wrapping around his neck.
“Yes,” he replied, carrying her upstairs.
In the bedroom, Andrew gently placed her on the bed and was about to go shower when Isabella clung to him.
“Be good, let me shower first.”
He had just returned from socializing and still smelled strongly of alcohol, which was indeed unpleasant.
She didn’t seem to mind, clutching his shirt collar with a mischievous smile.
“Don’t go,” she ordered dominantly, tilting her chin up.
“Isabella, did you miss me?” He whispered, chuckling softly, his warm breath tickling her face.
“Didn’t you miss me more?” Isabella blinked at him. Clearly, he was the one impatiently wanting to kiss her.
Andrew, helpless, shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it aside, then lifted her from the bed and strode towards the bathroom.
Holding Isabella, he stepped into the bathtub.
The spacious massage tub was big enough for both of them.
With one arm around Isabella, he used his other hand to turn on the golden faucet.
Warm water began to flow into the tub, soaking their clothes quickly.
Isabella playfully splashed water on him, and Andrew didn’t dodge. Instead, he suddenly pounced, pressing her against the edge of the tub.
Their gazes intertwined, and Andrew’s hand gently caressed her cheek before he lowered his head and kissed her…
A month later, Victoria sat in the hospital corridor, waiting for her test results.
She hadn’t had her period for over three months because she had been busy filming out of town and hadn’t paid attention.
Yesterday, Victoria secretly bought a pregnancy test and saw two lines. Today, she came to the hospital specifically to confirm the pregnancy, which would be wonderful news.
When she was with Caleb, he had always been careful, always using protection to avoid her getting pregnant.
Victoria tightly gripped her abdomen; this pregnancy had not been easy for her. With this child, Caleb wouldn’t easily be able to get rid of her.
After leaving the doctor’s office, Victoria hurried back to the apartment she shared with Caleb.
When she got back, Caleb wasn’t there. She changed into home clothes and sat in the living room waiting for him.
Perhaps because of the pregnancy, Victoria had been more sleepy lately. She sat on the sofa, waiting and waiting, and eventually fell asleep.
She was deeply asleep when a noise woke her up.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up from the sofa and saw Caleb staggering in, the door slamming loudly behind him.
“Caleb.” Victoria immediately sat up straight from the sofa, quickly walking over to his side and reaching out to steady him.
“Victoria, you’re back.” Caleb glanced at her, allowing her to help him sit down on the sofa.
Caleb reeked of alcohol, his head drooping against the sofa back, his hand pressed against his throbbing temple. Clearly, he had just returned from a social event, his face showing impatience.
Victoria was tactful, not saying a word to bother him, and went to the kitchen to make him sobering tea.
She walked out of the kitchen with the tea and found Caleb leaning against the sofa back, legs crossed, looking at her with a mocking gaze, holding her test report in his hand.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.” Victoria’s cheeks turned slightly red, showing a hint of shyness. She placed the tea in front of him and said softly, “Have some tea to sober up.”
Caleb took the teacup, took a few sips, and asked, “Whose child is it? Is it Finlo’s?”
Victoria’s expression instantly stiffened, looking at him incredulously, her breathing slightly uneven. She clenched her hands tightly on her shirt, suppressing her emotions.
“Caleb, this child is yours.”
“Mine?” Caleb’s gaze fell flatly on her still-flat belly, cold and sarcastic. “Victoria, do you think I’ll believe that?”
He threw the teacup onto the coffee table in front of him, causing it to spill all over.
“Victoria, do you think I’m a fool? When we were together, I always used protection.”
“Using protection isn’t foolproof.” Victoria’s face had now turned pale, but she remained composed. “After that nigh with Mr. Finlo, I took emergency contraception. It was impossible for me to get pregnant then. This child is three months old. You know, Caleb, this is your baby. If you don’t believe me, we can do a paternity test.”
“No need.” Caleb bluntly refused. “Get rid of it. Even if it’s mine, I don’t have plans for a child right now.”
After hearing this, Victoria clenched one hand tightly on her abdomen and the other into a fist. She struggled to control her emotions and calmly said, “Caleb, you’re drunk. Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”
Victoria reached out to help him, but Caleb coldly pushed her away. “I’m not drunk.”
He looked at her with narrowed eyes, his gaze cold and deep. “While it’s still early, get rid of the child as soon as possible. This is not a discussion; it’s my decision. Remove the child, and I’ll compensate you. If you insist on keeping it, I won’t be involved.”
After saying this, Caleb stood up from the sofa and walked unsteadily towards the stairs.
Behind him, there was suddenly a loud crash.
Caleb frowned and turned back, seeing the teacup that had been on the coffee table now shattered on the floor. Victoria was staring at him, her eyes cold.
Caleb curved his lips with interest. He had always known that Victoria had a temper, but in front of him, she had always pretended to be gentle.
“Clean it up. I don’t want to argue with you.” Caleb said impatiently.
Victoria slowly stood up from the sofa, a cold smile on her face. “Caleb, are you not planning to have a child, or are you not planning to have my child?”
“Is there a difference?” Caleb leaned against the stair railing. “Anyway, this child in your belly must be removed.”
Victoria’s face was defeated. After their business deal failed, she and her child were completely abandoned by Caleb.