Chapter 9
1157 Words
Serena seemed as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she forced herself to hold it back.
Her eyes darted away, and she said in a panic, "He... he went abroad! I can't reach him! In any case, I've returned it to its rightful owner!"
With that, she shoved the necklace straight into Isabelle's arms.
The next second, the car drove away.
Isabelle did not even have time to stop her.
She lowered her head and looked at the box in her hand, feeling terribly irritated.
Now, as long as something had anything to do with Elijah, she found it disgusting.
Isabelle took out her phone and looked at the number on her blacklist, frowning as she hesitated for a long time.
In the end, she still removed that number from the blacklist.
After the call was made, she waited for a long time, but no one answered. There was not even any automated system prompt.
Isabelle thought the number could no longer be reached.
Her finger had already paused over the hang-up button.
But just one second before she was about to hang up, the call suddenly connected.
"Isabelle."
A familiar voice came through the receiver.
Isabelle's heart trembled slightly, but irritation immediately surged up inside her.
She said coldly, "Your fiancée gave me the 'Heartfire Token.' Come and take it back yourself."
But Elijah, on the other end of the line, did not respond to that.
His voice was gentle and low. Instead, he asked about something else.
"Do you not like that bouquet anymore? I wrapped it myself."
Isabelle's chest tightened.
A wave of bitterness surged up at once.
She hardened her tone and asked coldly, "What kind of game are you trying to play with me now? Did those women stop being interesting, so you want to come back to me again?"
"Isabelle, I..."
"If you don't come and take it, I'll throw it away!"
Isabelle directly cut him off, then hung up the phone.
She stuffed her phone into her pocket and continued walking forward with her head lowered.
She did not notice at all.
That call just now had left no call record on her phone.
A few days later.
Isabelle came to the Inglewood Manor.
Corbin had threatened her with withdrawing his investment, forcing her to be his date and accompany him to the Inglewood family's banquet.
Isabelle had no choice.
To keep her job, she could only grit her teeth and agree.
In the banquet hall, guests came and went, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
Many people around her were sizing her up.
Isabelle felt very uncomfortable.
But Corbin held her hand, his expression so excited that it looked almost abnormal.
He laughed softly and asked, "Isabelle, do you want to watch a good show?"
Isabelle frowned.
"What?"
Corbin smiled.
"You'll know soon."
With that, Corbin's father, Dave Inglewood, called Corbin to the front and introduced him to everyone in public.
"This is Corbin, my son. From now on, the Inglewood family will be left to him."
Dave and his wife, Briana Inglewood, treated Corbin with great affection.
They looked as if they had long since accepted that Corbin was the true heir of this family.
Isabelle found it somewhat strange.
Even if Elijah had lost the fight for power, surely Dave and Briana would not go so far as to refuse to acknowledge their own son, right?
It was one thing for Dave, his biological father, to act this way.
But why was even Briana behaving like this?
Was this what profit-driven businessmen were like?
A trace of mockery flashed through Isabelle's eyes.
No wonder Elijah had such an awful personality.
So Dave and Briana were also the kind of people who cared only about profit.
They really were worthy of being one family.
Along with Isabelle, the hidden Elijah was also looking at the stage.
He watched quietly for a long time, his gaze darkening little by little.
After his death, his biological parents had brought the very culprit who had killed him into the family.
They had even allowed that person to take his place.
The three of them stood together, looking so close that they seemed like a truly loving family.
Elijah let out a low, cold laugh.
Sure enough, this was exactly how they did things.
Isabelle heard his voice and froze for a moment.
He had followed her here too?
The next second, an invisible hand took hers.
Isabelle was startled.
But the corners of her lips still couldn't help lifting slightly.
The banquet lasted for two hours and was finally about to end.
Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said goodbye to Corbin.
"I should go back now."
But Corbin smiled and grabbed the hand she was about to pull away.
"No hurry. I'll take you on a tour of the Inglewood Manor."
With that, he pulled her outside.
Isabelle stumbled from his pull, then frowned and asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
She couldn't understand Corbin's behavior at all.
What was his purpose in keeping her here?
If he only wanted to show off in front of Elijah, the loser, what did that have to do with her?
She was only the ex-girlfriend Elijah had abandoned long ago.
Corbin gripped her hand tightly and smiled slowly.
"Don't be anxious. I told you, the good show hasn't started yet."
Isabelle's frown deepened.
But for the time being, she couldn't break free, so she could only follow behind Corbin.
Corbin seemed completely unaware of her impatience.
Like the true master of the place, he enthusiastically introduced the Inglewood Manor to her.
Isabelle was not listening seriously at all.
Those words went in one ear and out the other.
Until Corbin suddenly said, "This is where Elijah lives. Do you want me to take you to see him?"
Isabelle's steps stopped abruptly.
Before she could react, Corbin forcibly dragged her forward.
Before her stood a detached villa.
Only, dead leaves covered the front of the entrance, and the inside of the house was completely dark.
No matter how one looked at it, it did not seem like a place where anyone lived.
Isabelle abruptly came back to herself and immediately pulled her hand back, her tone icy.
"I don't want to see him!"
Corbin grabbed her wrist with his other hand.
He was very strong, almost as if he were about to crush her bones.
Isabelle's face went pale from the pain, and he forcibly dragged her to the front door of the villa.
Corbin pressed her hand hard onto the doorknob, the smile on his face almost twisted.
"We're already here. How could you not see my brother?"
Isabelle couldn't break free.
A strong unease rose inexplicably in her heart.
Just then, Click.
The door opened from the inside first.
Isabelle looked up in astonishment.
The next second, she met a pair of familiar eyes.
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