Chapter 167
Richard’s eyes gleamed with a cold fury as he stared at tsabella, who remained huddled against the headboard, clutching the means lightly to man her 1,
“Miss Scott,‘ he said with barely concealed contempt, you’re supposedly a guest of the Harding family. How exactly did your end up in my sons beti M who was so ill he could barely move last night, let alone engage in any… intimate activities.
The servants exchanged glances, finally understanding the situation. Isabella Scott, the supposedly dignified lady from Boston’s elite society, had stopped to such desperate tactics to secure her position as Mrs. Harding.
Whispers filled the room, each one more damning than the last.
“Can you believe how shameless she is…”
“Sneaking into a married man’s bed while he’s unconscious…”
“What kind of respectable woman would do such a thing?”
Every whispered comment felt like a needle piercing Isabella’s heart, humiliating her completely.
She burst into tears, her voice rising into a desperate wail. “Henry, I never meant for this to happen! I just missed you and wanted to see you. I had no idea it would turn out this way.” Her voice broke as she continued, “You have to believe me! I didn’t have any ulterior motives. You were the one who took off my clothes.”
Henry’s expression remained coldly impassive. “Isabella, I despise being lied to. You know better than anyone what really happened. The truth is clear to everyone here.”
The room fell silent as Henry continued, “Given our history, I’m willing to let this incident go as if it never happened.”
Tears continued to stream down her face, but they no longer moved him.
Richard nodded with satisfaction, having achieved his goal. His son’s reputation remained intact. He motioned for the servants to disperse, then grabbed Catherine’s wrist, pulling her toward his villa.
‘Catherine, your behavior today has been extremely suspicious,” he remarked, his eyes narrowing as he studied his wife. Like a predator sensing weakness, he scrutinized her appearance. “You’re acting very strangely.”
Catherine hastily pulled her hand away, panic flashing across her face. “I’m exhausted from playing cards all night. I need to sleep.
Richard stood in the small garden, frost still clinging to the grass, watching his wife’s retreating figure with a contemplative expression. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant.
“I need you to investigate Catherine’s recent whereabouts,” he said in a low voice. “This is a confidential investigation–use external resources, not our usual people. Make it appear as if you’re conducting the investigation under your own name, not mine.”
He paused, his voice dropping even lower. “Report any findings directly to me and no one else. This matter stays strictly between us. No one else in the Harding family can know about this!”
After everyone had left, only Henry and Isabella remained in the bedroom. Isabella still huddled in the corner of the bed, her face streaked with tears and
mucus.
man’s reputation
“Henry,” she sobbed, “you’ve misunderstood me completely. I would never do what they’re suggesting! Her voice quivered with emotion. “Last night, you kept saying you were cold. I was worried about you, so I held you to keep you warm. You shouldn’t let your father’s words mislead you. is everything–how could I not care about mine? But I did it because it was you. Can’t you see how much I care for you?”
Henry felt a profound emptiness as he looked at the crying woman before him. Once, she had been his guiding light, his white moonlight.
During his childhood, when other children had ostracized him because of his heart condition, when they isolated and looked down on him, only Isabella had stood by his side.
All those sweet memories, all those days of companionship, had dissolved into nothing. When had Isabella become someone who would scheme against him?
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Chapter 167
He closed his eyes, trying to as tres now
ophies brands where Count of ferti
had never shed tears. Isabella’s tears now only disgusted him. He knew that his idealized Inve had faded away, those beautiful nomaries in his heart. The past was truly past,
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