The Price of Betrayal

As soon as Chloe entered the room, she noticed a pair of men's pajamas and shoes, and the bed was slightly messy, as if someone had slept in it.

The only male hosts in this house were Elder Master Henry and Young Master Ethan.

It was very likely that the person who had stayed here was Ethan.

Her eyes flickered as she turned to the servant outside and said, "I want to take a bath. It may take a while, so you don't have to wait for me. I'll come down on my own when I'm done."

The servant, thinking Chloe was a relative of Isabella, nodded and left.

Downstairs, the banquet continued late into the night. Ethan, having had a little too much to drink, stumbled into his room. When he switched on the light, he froze.

A woman in a white dress, her hair elegantly tied up, was sitting on his bed.

His expression turned ice-cold. "Who are you? What are you doing in my room?"

Chloe bit her lip, realizing she couldn't fool Ethan for even a second.

She quickly stood up and introduced herself. "I'm Isabella's cousin. I came to tell you a secret. The reason Isabella, who clearly doesn't love you, insisted on marrying you is actually because—"

"Get out."

Ethan's sharp voice cut her off. His gaze was like a knife. "My wife is not someone you can slander."

Chloe's face stiffened. She hadn't expected to be dismissed before she could even finish speaking.

But she wasn't willing to give up yet. "It's for your money," she continued desperately. "She wants to use your wealth to revive the Wilson Group. I'm telling the truth—I saw it in her diary."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

Sensing his hesitation, Chloe took a bold step forward. "I'm different from Isabella," she whispered. "I truly love you. I would never betray you like she did."

Chloe knew that while a man might accept a woman not loving him, he would never tolerate being used or betrayed. She deliberately planted the seed of doubt, hoping to shake Ethan's faith in Isabella.

"For you, I'm willing to do anything," she added, leaning toward him.

Ethan took a step back.

Caught off guard, Chloe lost her balance and fell to the floor.

"Ouch!" She looked up at Ethan in disbelief.

He stared down at her coldly. "Where is this diary you mentioned?"

Chloe quickly got up and said eagerly, "It's at my house. If you want it, I'll bring it to you immediately."

Ethan's expression darkened. "Deliver it tomorrow at noon." His voice was emotionless. "Now, get out."

Chloe, now frightened, didn't dare stay any longer and hurriedly left.

Meanwhile, Isabella was completely unaware of what had happened. She was taking a shower, oblivious to the storm brewing around her.

---

The next morning, Isabella woke up and remembered her appointment with James. She quickly got ready, grabbed her car keys, and headed to the outdoor garage.

The only car left from the night before was a white Ferrari.

Although all the cars in the garage looked similar, this one gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

When she got in, the feeling intensified—like this car had once belonged to her.

Suddenly, a memory surfaced.

On her birthday in 2017, her father had gifted her a white Ferrari that looked exactly like this one.

Could it really be the same car?

If so, how did it end up with Chloe?

Despite her pounding headache, she tried to recall the details but couldn't piece everything together.

But she did remember one thing.

Back then, she had hidden something behind the makeup mirror on the sun visor.

Holding her breath, she reached up and lowered the visor. Applying slight force, she removed the makeup mirror.

Sure enough, something was tucked behind it.

The exact thing she had hidden years ago.

A chill ran down her spine.

This was her car.

No wonder Chloe had given it to her so readily—because it had never truly belonged to Chloe in the first place.

Even if she called to confront her, Chloe would never admit it.

Pushing the thought aside for now, Isabella decided to focus on her meeting with James first. She would deal with this later.

She started the car and drove straight to the café.

---

When Isabella arrived at the café, James was already there, waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late," she said apologetically as she took off her coat.

It was deep winter, and while the café was warm with the heater on, the contrast with the freezing world outside was stark.

"It's okay," James smiled. "I came early, anyway. Besides, there's still one more person who hasn't arrived yet."

Isabella blinked in surprise. "Another person? Who?"

James glanced toward the entrance. "He's here."

He stood up to greet the newcomer.

"Hello, Lawyer Damien Moore."

Isabella turned around—and her eyes widened.

The man standing before her was Damien Moore, the former legal advisor of the Wilson Group.

If anyone knew the truth behind the Wilson family's downfall, it was him.

---

Damien Moore was now a legal advisor at ADC International Psychological Counseling. When he learned that James and Isabella were investigating the Wilson Group's downfall, he requested to meet with her.

Taking a deep breath, he began.

"After Mr. and Mrs. Wilson's death, Miss Wilson inherited the Wilson Group as the sole heir."

Isabella's fingers tightened around her cup.

"However," Damien continued, "Miss Wilson's mental condition was poor at the time, and she had no energy to manage the company. The company quickly fell into chaos."

A sharp pain stabbed through Isabella's chest.

She had been in mourning, barely able to function. She had no idea what had been happening behind the scenes.

Damien's expression darkened. "Not long after, William—the CEO of Wills Group—appeared at a company meeting. He brought a property transfer agreement… signed by Miss Wilson herself."

Isabella's breath hitched. "What?"

"The agreement stated that Miss Wilson willingly transferred all of her assets to William without compensation. Because the signature was genuine, the document had legal effect. William successfully took control of all Wilson family assets."

Her hands trembled.

"He then sold every fixed asset that could be liquidated—including Wilson Mansion. The Wilson Group was ultimately merged into Wills Group."

Silence fell over the table.

Isabella felt like she was suffocating.

Her entire family's legacy, stolen right from under her—while she had been too broken to fight back.

Her uncle had betrayed her.

And now, everything finally made sense.