Isabella remembered when she tried to seduce Julian.
She had once considered opening that box.
She wanted to understand Julian better.
But Alexander told her it contained Julian’s elementary school books from before he was ten.
So she never opened it.
If she had opened it back then, she would never have tried to seduce Julian.
Nothing would be as twisted as it was now.
The realization struck her like a thunderbolt.
Just the night before, she had fallen asleep with his semen inside her.
Now, she made a shocking discovery.
“Isabella?” Alexander knocked and entered.
He found her sitting dazed on the edge of the bed.
He hurried to her side. “What’s wrong?”
Isabella looked up at Alexander.
Did he know?
Probably not.
Who would imagine such a coincidence?
Even if he had investigated her, her father had disappeared.
Her grandparents passed away during her second year of college.
Her family was gone.
How could he uncover the identity of the mother who abandoned her at birth?
“What’s wrong?” He stepped closer, touching her forehead. “Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing. I stayed up late last night and have a bit of a headache.” She rubbed her throbbing temples.
Alexander’s tense expression softened.
He moved closer and embraced her. “As long as you’re okay. Don’t go to the shop today. Rest at home.”
“Alright.”
They had lunch together at noon.
While eating, Isabella suddenly asked, “How did Julian’s mother die?”
Alexander paused. “Why do you ask?”
“I was looking through his childhood toys earlier and remembered you said his mother passed away soon after he was born. It’s quite sad.”
“After giving birth to Julian, she cried every day. The doctor diagnosed her with depression. My father was always busy with business and neglected her. He was also paranoid, suspecting she was involved with a male friend. After Julian was born, he even demanded a paternity test.” Alexander sighed. “One night, she took a whole bottle of sleeping pills and left.”
Alexander spoke calmly, but Isabella was horrified.
Suffering with the poor was one thing, but even with the wealthy, there was suffering.
They say beautiful women often meet tragic fates—perhaps this was one such case.
“Isabella?” Alexander called her name, noticing her distraction. “What’s wrong?”
Isabella snapped out of it and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
—
The weather in San Francisco grew warmer.
Alexander booked a venue and set a wedding date.
He handled everything himself, only asking Isabella to choose the style of their wedding photos and honeymoon destination.
He made sure she didn’t have to worry about a thing.
Isabella stopped replying to Julian’s messages.
Even though he texted her almost daily, urging her to cancel the wedding, she ignored him.
When he boldly called her, she blocked his number.
She avoided going out alone whenever possible.
If Alexander couldn’t pick her up in the evening, she wouldn’t go to the parking lot alone.
She waited for Connor or Liam to accompany her or took a taxi home with a staff member.
She gave Julian no opportunity to approach her.
The wedding day arrived quickly.
Inside the San Francisco Grand Hotel, the bridal preparation room was buzzing.
“Isabella, you look absolutely stunning!”
“This wedding dress is custom-made, right? It must have cost a fortune!”
“Wow, Isabella, I’m so envious of you!”
The staff surrounded her, showering her with admiration and envy.
Isabella smiled faintly.
But her expression lacked the joy of a bride marrying for love or into wealth.
A closer look revealed a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
She was escorted down the aisle by a distant relative of the Sullivan family.
To the melody of the wedding march, she walked slowly down the red carpet.
She stepped onto the stage and stood beside Alexander.
He wore a white tailcoat, his tall frame and handsome features resembling a prince from a fairy tale.
He gazed at her with deep affection, a joyful smile on his lips.
“Isabella,” he said, taking her hand from the elder. His eyes were full of adoration. “You’re so beautiful.”
The officiant conducted the ceremony and instructed them to exchange rings.
He slipped the ring onto her finger, and she did the same for him.
The officiant said, “What a perfect match! Groom, do you have any words for your beautiful bride?”
Alexander took the microphone, his eyes fixed on Isabella.
“Isabella, I thought I’d have to wait much longer for you to become my wife. Today is the happiest day of my life. You probably can’t imagine how much I love you. My life only has meaning with you in it. Isabella, trust me, I will make you happy for the rest of your life. I love you.”
The hall erupted in applause and cheers.
The officiant then handed the microphone to Isabella.
She looked at Alexander, her chin raised and eyes slightly narrowed, as if scrutinizing him.
“Of course I know how much you love me—”
“The first time we met, I saw the admiration and possessiveness in your eyes.”
“Back then, I was the wife of a mid-level employee at a small company. I had just opened a coffee shop in a retail space. You were the landlord. We weren’t supposed to meet, but one day you decided to sell the property. Your assistant came to discuss it with me. I couldn’t afford to buy it. The assistant said we’d have to move out. I had just finished renovating and had been operating for less than two months. Moving would have been a huge loss. I insisted on meeting you to negotiate. That’s how we met.”
“To my surprise, you agreed to let me continue renting. You decided not to sell the property.”
“After that, you started coming to the coffee shop often. Despite being a busy man, you’d spend hours over a single cup of coffee.”
“On the day my husband Daniel died, the shop was very busy. He called and said he had to meet a client, asking me to pick up our son. I told him I couldn’t leave. He said he’d take our son to the meeting since the client knew him well.”
“I don’t know what happened exactly. The police told me Daniel was killed after stumbling into a gang shootout. There were other bodies at the scene.”
“I rushed to the hospital, panicked and disoriented. When I finally remembered my son, Jacob had already been brought to the hospital. I asked him who brought him. He was only three and mumbled, ‘Uncle Tall.’”
“Later, at Daniel’s funeral, Jacob pointed at you and called you ‘Uncle Tall.’ I realized he meant the tall man—you. I told the police I suspected you were involved in Daniel’s death. They investigated you, but you had a solid alibi. You claimed you arrived at the scene later, saw the ambulance take Daniel away, and found Jacob in a corner before bringing him to the hospital.”
“Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”
“A month later, I took Jacob for a vaccination. While crossing the street, I lost my grip on him. He broke free to retrieve a dropped ball. On the other side of the road, a child was crying after his vaccination, his parent scolding him. The child ran into the street to escape, and a car sped toward them. Jacob and that child were both hit—the scene was so horrifying I fainted. I repressed the memory, but now I remember.”
After speaking, Isabella looked pale, as if she had exhausted all her energy.
Her gaze was cold and steady on Alexander, whose expression had frozen.
The wedding hall fell into dead silence.
Her voice, though soft, carried through the microphone.
“Alexander, can you please tell me—did my son Jacob really die?”