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Chapter 11
The wedding banquet was held at the De Luca Family Estate, with tight, impenetrable security.
Vincent used three fake identities to sneak into the outer perimeter of the grounds.
At the end of the red carpet. Isabella was arm in arm with Luca De Luca, receiving warm well wishes from the guests.
A reporter called out loudly. ‘Mrs. De Luca, do you have anything to say about your previous marriage?”
The entire venue fell dead silent instantly.
Luca frowned slightly and was about to speak when Isabella gently pressed her hand over his to stop him.
She took the microphone, her calm, unflinching gaze sweeping across the bank of cameras.
‘I’m grateful for that experience, as it helped me grow into the woman I am today.”
“It also taught me one thing–marriage is not a lifeline to pull you out of hardship, but the finishing polish that elevates
an already good life.”
Thunderous applause swept through the crowd
Vincent stood at the very back of the gathering, watching her glow in the spotlight, his heart feeling like it was being repeatedly pummeled by a blunt, heavy object. Every word that left her lips felt like a thousand slow cuts, a brutal reckoning for the seven years of humiliation and abuse he had heaped on her.
The ceremony moved on to the banquet segment, and guests filed indoors in an orderly stream.
Vincent slipped through the chaos of the moving crowd and headed for the side garden of the estate. He knew Isabella always found a quiet spot to catch her breath whenever she had to endure long, draining social events.
Sure enough, she was standing alone by the rose bushes, holding a glass of still water in her hand.
“Isabella.”
She turned slowly at the sound of his voice.
When she saw who it was, there was no surprise on her face, nor flicker of anger. She looked at him like he was no more
than a total stranger.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Vincent?” she asked coolly, “I’m fairly certain no invitation was ever sent to you.”
Vincent’s throat went dry and tight, “We need to talk.”
“Talk about what?” she tilted her head slightly, a faint, mocking edge to her tone. “All property has been divided cleanly.
the divorce agreement is already fully in effect. There is nothing left for us to discuss.”
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“That initial seed investment all those years ago… his voice trembled. . I know everything about it now.”
She took a small sip of water, her expression unchanging. “So?”
I’m sorry… he took a shaky step forward. ‘I…“.
“Vincent. She cut him off sharply. “Do you know why I never told you about it back then?”
He shook his head mutely.
“Because if I had told you, what would you have done?” she answered her own question without waiting for a reply. “You would have rushed off to beat someone senseless, the project would have fallen through, the funding would have vanished, and you would have blamed me for ‘being so careless. It would have ended up being entirely my fault.”
She let out a small, bitter laugh. “I know you too well. Your pride is bigger than the sky, but your abilities can never live up to your ambition.”
“So you had to put me down, cheat on me to feel important, to prove to yourself that you were somehow successful.”
Vincent’s face drained of all color, leaving it as white as a sheet, “So those investors later… all those resources…”
“That’s right. I begged for them on my knees.” She admitted it openly, no trace of shame in her voice. “I traded my dignity, so you could keep yours intact.”
“Do you know why I insisted on going to that meeting with the Hank family all those years ago?”
She brought up that old, buried incident out of the blue.
“Back then… I really thought I could hold onto that sliver of fragile hope, without having to beg my family for help. without letting my father look down on me for failing.”
“I knew Hank didn’t just have money–he also had the arms trafficking channel we had been chasing for months
“What happened after that, I explained to you, over and over.” She tilted her head slightly, as if recalling the distant memory. They didn’t dare touch me. No matter how reckless they were, they feared the Rosetti family’s influence. At most, they took a few tasteless photos of me when I was passed out, to get a cheap thrill out of it.”
She paused, a faint note of exhaustion seeping into her voice.
“Those few photos, that empty, cowardly posturing of theirs, never scared me that much.”
“What really broke my heart was-”
“You started bringing up that night constantly.” Her tone grew icy cold. “Every time we fought, every time I questioned
you about coming home at 3 a.m., every time I smelled unfamiliar women’s perfume on your shirt…”
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“You would always say casually, ‘Isabella, you fucked someone for money back then too, right? We’re even.“”
“You used that one lie to torment me for all these years.” She shook her head gently, laughing softly at her own past foolishness. “You made me feel like I owed you, like I was dirty, like I had to forgive you for cheating again and again, convincing myself that I deserved whatever punishment I got.”
A broken, strangled excuse squeezed out of Vincent’s tight throat. “I didn’t know… I was just….”
Chapter 11
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
