Chapter 160

Alexander’s mind kept replaying Victoria’s venomous glare long after he stepped out of the prayer room.

Isabella was ruthless, but she never pretended otherwise. She made no effort to conceal her nature from him.

Victoria, however, had perfected the art of playing the innocent victim. Her true self was hidden behind a mask of fragility.

She was pure evil.

He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she had tried to kill Isabella in a staged accident. She had even harmed other models in the process.

She let her most loyal agent, Isadora, take the full blame.

The thought made his skin crawl. His image of the sweet, gentle Victoria was shattered forever.

The Montgomery family butler approached him. “Mr. Whitmore,” he said politely. “Would you care to stay for lunch?”

Alexander glanced toward the dining hall. His eyes immediately found Isabella seated beside William.

Her outfit wasn’t particularly flashy today. Yet her powerful, striking presence was impossible to ignore.

For the first time, he looked at her without disgust. He almost found her… compelling.

He adjusted his suit jacket and walked over.

A maid promptly set a place for him. Eleanor noticed him and spoke in a concerned tone. “You’re here, Alexander? I assume you’ve heard what happened?”

Alexander nodded as he took his seat. The family members exchanged uneasy glances.

Alexander was known as the ‘National Husband’ throughout Westchester. He was the most sought-after bachelor in the city… after the Blackwood men, of course.

The Blackwoods were in a league of their own. Their family’s wealth spanned over a century.

Even if they retired from all business ventures, their assets would still dwarf every other wealthy family in Westchester.

While others scrambled for resources, the Blackwoods never broke a sweat. Everyone wanted to partner with them.

They were the elite among elites. Far beyond the reach of a family like the Montgomerys.

That made Alexander the ideal son-in-law for the Montgomery family. A marriage between them would bring significant benefits to both sides.

Eleanor sighed and tried to smooth things over. “Alexander, please don’t take this to heart. I know Victoria made a mistake, but hasn’t everyone? This is her first serious error since she was a child. I’m sure she’ll learn from it.”

“Yes,” Penelope agreed quickly. “Victoria is a good girl. She’s always been kind and virtuous. Maybe she just had a momentary lapse… I hope you can overlook it.”

Penelope had to side with Eleanor. Her daughter, Sophia, was confined to the estate. Her husband was useless. If Victoria’s engagement to Alexander fell through, their situation would become even more difficult.

Alexander wanted to forget the whole thing. But once the topic was raised, he couldn’t help recalling Victoria’s sinister expression. It was nothing like the Victoria he thought he knew.

He took a sip of soup. “Don’t worry. I grew up with Victoria. I’ve always seen her as a younger sister. Why would I look down on her?”

The atmosphere at the table shifted immediately. Even William frowned. “A sister? Alexander, are you joking?”

After what happened to Isabella, Alexander had spent most of his time with Victoria. He had proposed to her multiple times. And now he called her a ‘little sister’?

Isabella leaned back in her chair, looking thoroughly amused. ‘This idiot is about to stir the pot again. Where’s my popcorn?’