Chapter 23: Twisted truth
1255 Words
Leonard didn't react immediately.
But his eyes— Turned cold.
"What's truth?" he asked.
Victoria didn't answer right away.
Instead— She looked at Isabella.
Like she was about to tear her apart.
Piece by piece.
"Go on," Leonard said, his voice sharper now.
Isabella's heart started racing.
"Victoria, don't—"
"Oh, now you're worried?" Victoria cut in, her tone almost amused. "Interesting."
Isabella's fingers curled slightly.
"This isn't your story to tell," she said.
Victoria smiled.
"It became mine the moment you stepped into his life."
Leonard's patience snapped.
"Enough," he said. "Say it."
Victoria turned back to him and this time— She didn't hold back.
"She's your wife."
The words dropped like a bomb.
Silence followed, heavy, explosive.
Leonard blinked once.
"My... wife?" he repeated slowly.
His gaze shifted to Isabella.
Searching, demanding.
"Is that true?" he asked.
Isabella's throat tightened.
This was it, the truth, the moment everything could change.
"Yes," she said softly.
No more lies.
Leonard's expression didn't soften.
If anything—It grew darker.
"Explain," he said.
Before she could speak— Victoria did.
"It was a contract," she said calmly.
Isabella's eyes snapped to her.
"No—"
"You married her for business," Victoria continued smoothly. "A deal. Nothing more."
"That's not the whole truth!" Isabella snapped.
But Leonard's attention was no longer on her tone— It was on the words.
"A deal..." he repeated.
Victoria nodded. "Yes," she said. "She needed protection. You needed leverage."
Every word— Carefully chosen, carefully twisted.
Leonard's gaze returned to Isabella.
"And after that?" he asked.
His voice was quieter now, more dangerous.
Isabella swallowed hard.
"It didn't stay like that," she said.
Truth but incomplete.
Victoria let out a soft laugh.
"Of course it didn't," she said. "You started to regret it."
That made Isabella freeze.
"What are you saying?" she asked.
Victoria looked straight at Leonard.
"You couldn't stand her,"
Leonard's eyes darkened slightly.
"You tried to end it more than once," Victoria added. "But she refused to leave."
"That's not true!" Isabella said, her voice shaking.
But doubt— was already forming because parts of it were.
Leonard noticed. Of course he did.
"Did I?" he asked.
Isabella hesitated.
That hesitation— Destroyed her.
"I..." she started.
But the words wouldn't come.
Because how could she explain— That he did hate her once...
Before everything changed.
Victoria stepped closer.
"You see?" she said softly. "She's not telling you everything."
Leonard's jaw tightened.
"I want the truth," he said.
His voice wasn't loud but it carried weight pressure, finality.
Isabella looked at him.
And for a moment She almost broke.
"I won't lie to you," she said quietly.
A pause.
"You didn't want this marriage at first."
Leonard didn't react.He just listened carefully.
"But things changed," she added quickly. "You changed."
Victoria scoffed.
"Did I?" Leonard asked.
His gaze locked onto Isabella again.
"Or are you just saying what benefits you?"
That hurt.
More than anything else.
"No," she whispered. "I'm telling you the truth."
Victoria crossed her arms.
"Then tell him everything," she said.
Silence fell.
All eyes were on Isabella.
Leonard's gaze didn't waver, sharp, demanding.
"Everything," he repeated.
Her heart pounded.
This was it.
No more hiding, no more half-truths.
"If I tell you," she said softly, "you have to listen to all of it."
Leonard didn't hesitate.
"I don't do half stories."
Of course he didn't.
Isabella took a slow breath, trying to steady herself.
"We got married because of a contract," she began.
Leonard's expression didn't change.
"You didn't want it," she continued. "You made that very clear."
A flicker of something crossed his face, not memory but reaction.
"You kept your distance," she added. "You treated it like business."
Victoria smirked slightly but Isabella wasn't done.
"At first... I was nothing to you."
Her voice wavered slightly. "But that changed."
Victoria's smile faltered.
Leonard's eyes narrowed.
"How?" he asked.
Isabella hesitated.
Because this part— Was harder.
"You started noticing things," she said quietly. "Small things."
A pause.
"You protected me."
Leonard's jaw tightened slightly.
"That doesn't sound like me," he said.
"It didn't to me either," she replied
softly silence.
"You got jealous," she continued.
That made Victoria stiffen.
"You cared... even when you didn't admit it."
Leonard's gaze darkened.
"And you?" he asked.
Her breath caught.
"I..." she hesitated.
But the words felt too fragile, too dangerous.
"I stayed," she said instead.
Not enough, not the truth.
Victoria let out a small laugh.
"How convenient," she said. "You're making it sound like a love story."
Isabella's eyes snapped to her.
"It became one," she said firmly.
'
Silence.
That wasn't something she had ever said out loud before.
"And how did it end?" he asked.
The question hit like a blade because it hadn't ended not really.
"You got shot protecting me," she said quietly.
Victoria's expression changed, just slightly.
Leonard raised a brow"And before that?" he pressed.
Isabella looked at him.
"You chose me," she whispered.
The room went still.
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"That's not—"
"Enough," Leonard said sharply.
His voice cut through everything.
Silence followed instantly, his gaze was locked on Isabella now.
Not cold, not distant but... conflicted.
"You expect me to believe that?" he asked.
"I expect you to feel it," she replied.
A pause.
Because that was all she had left, no memories, no proof.
Just... That connection.
Leonard exhaled slowly.
His mind was telling him one thing.
Victoria's words.
Logic, control.
But his body, His instincts— Were saying something else.
"You said I hated you," he said.
"At first," Isabella replied.
"And then I changed?"
"Yes." She said
"Why?" He asked
That question, that one question—
Was the hardest.
Isabella's voice softened.
"Because you saw me," she said.
Silence.
Leonard's fingers curled slightly at his side.
"And now?" he asked.
Her chest tightened.
"Now you don't," she whispered.
That hit harder than anything else.
Leonard took a step back.
Running a hand through his hair.
Frustration building, because nothing made sense.
But somehow—It all felt real.
"This doesn't explain everything," he said.
"It's not supposed to," Isabella replied.
He looked at her again.
Like he was trying to decide something.
Something important.
Victoria stepped forward suddenly.
"You're forgetting one thing," she said coldly.
Leonard didn't look at her.
"What?" he asked.
Victoria's eyes locked onto Isabella.
And then—
"She was going to leave you."
Silence.
Isabella froze.
Because that— Wasn't entirely false.
Leonard's gaze snapped back to her.
Sharp and dangerous.
"Is that true?" He asked
Sometimes the truth doesn't break you...
It's the timing that does.
That question...That one questionWas the hardest.
Isabella's voice softened.
"Because you saw me," she said.
Leonard's fingers curled slightly at his side.
"And now?" he asked.
Her chest tightened.
"Now you don't," she whispered.
That hit.
Harder than anything else.
Leonard took a step back.
Running a hand through his hair, frustration building.
Because nothing made sense—
But somehow— It all felt real.
"This doesn't explain everything," he said.
"It's not supposed to," Isabella replied.
He looked at her again.
Like he was trying to decide something, something important.
Victoria stepped forward suddenly.
"You're forgetting one thing," she said coldly.
Leonard didn't look at her.
"What?" he asked.
Victoria's eyes locked onto Isabella.
And then—
"She was going to leave you."
Silence.
Isabella froze.
Because that— Wasn't entirely false.
Leonard's gaze snapped back to her, sharp, dangerous.
"Is that true?" He asked
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD