Chapter 96
Chapter 96
FAGG
Deep in thought, I barely noticed the knock at the door until it opened, revealing my grandmother and mother, their faces filled with concern.
“My dear… are you alright?” Grandmother asked gently.
“You shouldn’t have come in this cold weather,” I said, noting how frail she looked. “It must have been difficult.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “I came to see you, of course.” Her sharp eyes swept the room, quickly noting that only my bodyguard was present. Sensing the moment, he silently excused himself to give us privacy,
“Where’s your husband?” she asked.
“He went to the police station to give his statement. The authorities discovered that Grayson’s mother owned the villa where Charlotte had been hiding for months. He left two bodyguards with me.”
Grandmother’s shoulders slumped, worry creasing her aging features.
When I looked at Mom, her swollen eyes betrayed hours of crying.
“How’s Dad?” I asked.
“Not good…” Her voice trembled, barely holding back tears.
“How about you?”
She shook her head, unable to speak, as if the words were stuck in her throat.
Taking a deep breath, I reached for the necklace around my neck, removing it with steady fingers. Holding it between us, I took my grandmother’s hand.
“Tell me the truth, Grandma… W–who is Bella Jones?”
They both stiffened, shock flashing across their faces.
“I came to the mansion partly because of her,” I continued, steadily meeting my grandmother’s gaze. “She’s your third child, isn’t she?”
“Isabella!” Grandmother’s voice trembled with worry.
“I’ll discover the truth eventually, Grandma. Lying to me will only hurt me more. I’m a mother now and want to give my child a life built on truth.” I shifted my gaze to Mom, but she quickly looked away. “What happened to her?”
“My dear…”
“I deserve to know. You gave me this necklace because you wanted me to find out someday, didn’t you?”
Tears slipped down my grandmother’s cheeks.
“She’s your biological mother.” The woman I’d always known as Mom broke down, her words dissolving into heart- wrenching sobs.
“Mary!” Grandmother scolded her, but it was too late.
I had already suspected it, so the revelation didn’t shock me as much as it should have. Mom sat on the bed as if her bones had dissolved.
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Chapter 96
Grandmother’s lips trembled as she finally confessed. “I–it’s my fault… I couldn’t protect her from your grandfather back then. And in the end, her plans didn’t work out either.”
Instead of tears, I felt a surprising sense of relief, as if heavy chains had finally been lifted. The truth had freed me from a lifetime of unanswered questions.
Years ago…
Mr. Jones, Bella’s father, had insisted that she return home from Europe immediately.
Though she had built a life for herself at the prestigious London art school, securing an internship and forging meaningful friendships, her father’s word remained absolute. He used her education funding as a tool, fully aware that she relied on his financial support.
When Bella arrived at the Jones mansion that evening, every window was brightly lit, as if the house was waiting for her to
return.
As she entered, she immediately spotted an unexpected figure on the living room couch–a man whose presence made her blood run cold.
“Father…” Bella murmured, glancing at the unknown yet familiar figure.
“Ah, good. You’ve finally met Mr. Volkov,” her father said with a certain finality.
Bella’s gaze fixed on their guest. She had often seen him outside the art school, always sitting inside his white vehicle. His piercing stare had unsettled her every time, making her uncomfortable.
“Hello, Bella!” he greeted with a calm smile, rising from his seat to extend his hand.
‘Perhaps I’ve misjudged him,’ Bella thought, trying to silence her instincts. His manners seemed polite enough.
“Hi,” she replied briefly, shaking his hand.
“I’m Dmitry Volkov. We’ve crossed paths a few times already,” he said with a slight smile.
But her mood shifted instantly when she learned why Dmitry was there that night. Her father had arranged a marriage with the Volkov family. She had anticipated that her father might eventually marry her off, but she hadn’t expected the man standing before her to be the one.
“Would it be possible for me to get to know Dmitry first? That seems fair to both of us,” she asked cautiously, struggling to keep her voice calm.
Her father didn’t seem to entertain the notion. “What’s the point in waiting? Either way, you’ll both end up husband and wife.”
“It’s fine, Mr. Jones,” Dmitry interjected smoothly. “I agree with Bella’s suggestion.”
Bella smiled, grateful that the man understood her.
She started to believe he was well–educated, and the Volkov family’s vast business empire in Russia and parts of America only confirmed his capabilities. But being capable didn’t mean she was ready to give herself to him. She decided to pursue a relationship with Dmitry.
At first, Dmitry played his part ideally–sending elaborate flower arrangements and showering her with attention. But everything changed when Dmitry’s lover provoked Bella. She caught him with another woman at one of his business establishments.
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Chapter 96
The betrayal stung deeply, especially because Dmitry had made her fall in love with him.
“I want to end the engagement,” Bella declared, her voice firm but filled with hurt.
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The words triggered something dark in Dmitry. His hand struck her face before she could react–the first time he had ever raised a hand to her.
His fingers dug into her chin, forcing her head up as she gasped for breath.
“Let go of me!” she screamed while his lover watched from the large and soft couch with casual cruelty, arms crossed in smug satisfaction.
Dmitry’s lips twisted into a cruel smirk. “You think you can escape from me that casily? This is my life, Bella. You’ll learn to accept it like the others before you.”
Tears streamed down Bella’s face. She had truly loved him, but love didn’t give him the right to treat her this way.
After the emotional and physical pain Dmitry caused her, Bella explained her decision to her father, showing him the bruises she had. But Mr. Jones simply ignored her pain.
She eventually discovered the truth: that lunatic had given his father millions in exchange for hurting Bella. Dmitry tried to explain that he hadn’t been thinking clearly.
But despite his words, things only got worse…
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