"I won't apologize," Caroline said. Her back remained straight and firm. Although her hands trembled slightly at her sides, she refused to look away from Isaac and Talia. "I didn't push her. She fell by herself. Why should I be the one apologizing?"
"Isaac, please don't blame Caroline..." Talia said as she held onto the edge of Isaac's shirt. Her eyes were red from crying. "I lost my balance. My leg is disabled. I'm just a burden who can't even stand properly. This wasn't Caroline's fault. Please don't make her apologize. Otherwise, the two of you will end up arguing again..."
Her words sounded like she was trying to calm the situation. In reality, they only made Isaac even angrier. After all, the injury to her leg was the sacrifice she had made to save his life.
When Isaac's eyes settled on Caroline, they were filled with disappointment and disgust.
"Caroline, you've never changed." His deep voice carried a sharp edge. "You're still the same as you were three years ago. You make mistakes, but you never admit to any of them."
Caroline suddenly found it hard to breathe. A dull ache spread through her chest. The pain was so overwhelming that even drawing breath became difficult.
Three years of marriage. Ten years of loving him in secret. Yet in Isaac's eyes, she was nothing more than a calculating and stubborn woman.
Talia leaned against Isaac's chest and buried her face against him. Hidden from his sight, a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
Someone from a background like Caroline's could never compete with her for Isaac.
A loud bang suddenly came from the other end of the hallway.
Dragging a suitcase behind her, Deanna walked out and immediately saw Talia crying in Isaac's arms. Anger instantly covered her face.
"You wretched woman, Caroline! You're nothing but trouble!" Deanna pointed directly at Caroline as she spoke. "Talia saved Isaac's life, and you actually laid your hands on her? How can you be so cruel? It's no surprise you used shameless methods to get into Isaac's bed and force him to marry you back then!"
"Mom, that's enough," Isaac snapped as a frown appeared on his face.
But the moment Deanna brought up that matter, Caroline reached her limit.
"I never got into his bed on purpose!" Caroline finally snapped. Her eyes were red as she lifted her voice and looked directly at Isaac. "This is the last time I'm explaining it. Someone tampered with my drink that night three years ago. I didn't know you were in that room, and I never had any intention of forcing you to marry me!"
"That's enough!" Isaac interrupted her without hesitation. His eyes were filled with annoyance and impatience.
"Caroline, I stopped believing that excuse three years ago." He looked at her with cold indifference, as though she were someone ridiculous. "Hearing you repeat it now only makes you look even worse."
Caroline stood there in silence. A freezing chill spread through her entire body. The last bit of pride she had left crumbled completely.
Isaac wasn't going to believe a single word she said. The ten years they had known each other since childhood meant nothing to him at all.
"Why are you still standing there?!" Seeing Isaac's anger, Deanna seized the opportunity and threw the suitcase directly at Caroline.
The suitcase slammed into Caroline's calf with a heavy thump and made her lose her balance. Several old pieces of clothing tumbled onto the floor. The sight looked miserable.
"You already signed the divorce papers, so take your garbage and leave!" Deanna said as she stared at Caroline with complete disdain.
Caroline didn't even glance at the clothes scattered across the floor. Slowly, she straightened herself. Her gaze passed over Deanna before settling on Isaac's cold face.
"Isaac, remember what I'm about to say." Caroline's voice became strangely calm. "I won't confess to something I never did. I won't apologize to you, and I won't apologize to her. Not now. Not ever."
After saying those words, she left the clothes where they were. Without looking back, she picked up her worn canvas bag and headed downstairs.
Isaac watched her walk away. His brows drew together. An uncomfortable feeling of irritation rose inside him without explanation.
...
Outside the villa, a cool breeze drifted through the night air.
The moment Caroline walked out, she noticed a long row of identical black Rolls-Royce Phantoms parked along the wide driveway of Harvey Villa. Even at the height of the Harvey family's success, they had never displayed such an extravagant scene.
The door of the car in the middle opened. A familiar person quickly stepped out.
"Carrie!" Amanda hurried toward her.
The streetlight soon revealed Caroline's pale face and reddened eyes. The moment Amanda saw Caroline's condition, her expression turned dark.
"Did those bastards from the Harvey family bully you again?!" Anger immediately flared inside Amanda. She clenched her teeth and turned toward Harvey Villa. "They've got a lot of nerve bullying my daughter! I'm going to tear Deanna apart!"
"Mom, don't!" Caroline quickly caught Amanda by the wrist and shook her head. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes again.
"I already signed the divorce agreement with Isaac," Caroline said quietly. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her voice. "From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Harvey family anymore. Mom, please don't waste your anger on them. They aren't worth it."
She didn't want Amanda to continue suffering because of her. More importantly, she refused to give the Harvey family another reason to mock them.
The moment Amanda heard the word "divorce," she paused briefly. Then she raised her voice and said, "Good! That idiot never deserved my daughter in the first place!"
Caroline said nothing. Instead, her attention shifted to the row of luxury cars parked behind Amanda. "Mom, what's going on with all these cars?" Caroline asked. "You told me over the phone that my biological brother came looking for me?"
She had been an orphan. Amanda had adopted her when she was still a child.
More than twenty years had passed since then. How could a biological brother suddenly appear out of nowhere now?
Judging from this display alone, it was obvious that his status was far from ordinary.
Letting out a sigh, Amanda took Caroline's hand and guided her toward the car. "This isn't the right place for this conversation. Come with me. Get in the car first. It's a long story, and I'll explain everything once we're inside."
Caroline was full of questions. Even so, she quietly followed Amanda and climbed into the back seat of a Rolls-Royce.
Just as the door was about to close, the front gate of the villa opened. After making sure Talia was settled, Isaac came outside with Deanna.
Deanna had originally come out to instruct the security guards not to let Caroline back inside. She was worried Caroline might change her mind about the divorce. The moment she stepped out, however, she saw Amanda and Caroline getting into a Rolls-Royce.
The car door shut. Moments later, the entire convoy drove away with an imposing presence.
Deanna's eyes immediately widened. A malicious expression spread across her face.
"So that's why she agreed to the divorce so quickly!" Deanna sneered before turning toward Isaac. "Look at that, Isaac. Amanda hasn't changed at all after all these years. She's still using her daughter to gain benefits. She must've handed Caroline over to some rich old man to keep him entertained. Like mother, like daughter. They're both disgusting!"
Isaac continued staring at the departing convoy. Dark emotions gathered across his face.
Those weren't ordinary Rolls-Royces. The influence represented by that license plate alone was enough to make even the Harvey family think twice.
Who exactly had Caroline become involved with?
Deanna kept hurling insult after insult. Each word only fueled the strange anger building inside Isaac.
"Shut up!" he said sharply. His voice was cold enough to make people uneasy.
Deanna stared at him in shock. She looked both wronged and irritated. "Why are you yelling at me? Did I say anything wrong?"
Isaac paid no attention to her. With obvious irritation, he loosened his tie and headed back into the villa.
Deanna was left standing there. Frustration filled her face as she stamped her foot.
At the same time, Talia stood on the second-floor balcony. Her eyes remained fixed on the direction where the convoy had disappeared.
The lights inside the car had come on the moment Caroline stepped into it. During that brief moment, Talia had caught sight of a man sitting in the back seat.
His profile was sharp and striking. There was a natural authority about him that made him look like someone born to lead. For a split second, he reminded her of her eldest brother, Caleb Howard, who was living in Ylerton.
The thought barely surfaced before she dismissed it.
That couldn't be possible. The Howard family was based in Ylerton. As far as she knew, Caleb had never once visited this city. Someone like Caroline, who had been raised by a maid, wasn't even qualified to stand beside the Howard family. How could she possibly have any connection to Caleb?
"I must've imagined it..." Talia murmured to herself as she gave her head a slight shake. A victorious smile slowly returned to her face.
It didn't matter whose car Caroline had left in. As far as she was concerned, now that Caroline was out of the picture, Isaac would eventually belong to her and her alone.
