Chapter 251
Isabella’s phone buzzed early the next morning.
It was Julian Hawthorne.
“SilverPeak just terminated contracts with several artists,” he informed her. “Arabella Fontaine is among them. They’re all demanding to see you. They need your signature to finalize the termination. The compensation amounts are massive—these are top-tier supermodels. My assistants can’t handle them.”
“Understood,” Isabella replied. “I’ll be there soon.”
She turned and glanced at the bed.
Nathaniel and Oliver were both still asleep.
They must have stayed up late.
Oliver hadn’t woken early to paint.
He was curled in the middle of the bed, breathing softly.
Nathaniel lay on the inner side, one arm draped protectively over the boy.
Their profiles, one strong and one delicate, looked like carved jade in the soft morning light.
A warm smile touched Isabella’s lips unconsciously.
She slipped out of bed carefully, not wanting to disturb them.
Shortly after she left, Nathaniel’s phone vibrated on the nightstand.
His eyes opened instantly.
A message glowed on the screen.
[Good morning, Mr. Blackwood. This is Victoria Kensington.
I believe you should know what happened five years ago.
Has Isabella told you? Probably not.
She prefers to handle things alone.
She’s always been fiercely independent.
But Alexander Whitmore has gone too far lately.
He left me, and now he’s threatening Isabella with evidence from that night.
He’s trying to force her to marry him.
What he has… it tortures her.
It could make her do anything—even things she would never choose.
If he becomes desperate, he might drag her down with him.
Destroy her completely.
You’re the only one who can stop this.
Meet me at The Ivy at 2 p.m.]
Nathaniel’s gaze turned icy.
He had never wanted to pry into Isabella’s secrets.
But this message changed things.
How severe was the incident five years ago?
It seemed he had to find out.
He pulled up Dominic Sterling’s contact.
“Clear my afternoon schedule,” he ordered.
Meanwhile…
Victoria grinned when she saw her message had been read.
She was officially discharged from the hospital.
Though a patch of her hair had been shaved, it was easily hidden with a wig.
No one would notice the scar.
And she had the perfume.
That special perfume.
Created by an expert, it stripped away a person’s self-control.
Made them act on impulse.
If a woman with a child could seduce Nathaniel Blackwood, so could she.
Anything Isabella could have, Victoria would take.
Once she slept with him, she would have leverage.
Even if he didn’t want her, she could demand a massive settlement.
Enough to buy Jordan family shares if her father refused to give them to her.
She needed to seize control before Isabella exposed everything.
And…
She placed a hand on her abdomen.
She was in her fertile window.
If she got pregnant with his child…
The Jordans’ disdain wouldn’t matter anymore.
She’d be set for life.
With renewed excitement, she began selecting her outfit.
Isabella arrived at GoldenPhoenix.
Only Arabella Fontaine was waiting in her office.
Arabella was known for her gentle demeanor.
She was SilverPeak’s second most valued artist.
Her voice was soft, almost melodic.
She gave off the aura of moonlight—calm and serene.
But SilverPeak had marketed her as a foodie.
At every event, she had to eat.
And eat.
And keep eating.
All to win audience approval and build her brand.
Arabella despised the persona.
But she had no choice—the company enforced it.
That character won her the Most-Likeable Supermodel Award.
It brought endorsements and customer loyalty to SilverPeak.
Last year, she received the ‘Most Commercial-Valued’ award.
This year, she was crowned ‘No. 1 Supermodel’.
Isabella studied her with a curious frown.
“Why are you here?” she asked. “Did you manage to terminate your contract? Is SilverPeak really letting you go?”