Chapter 4: Making
Her Pay
Charlotte bit her lip, a flush of
bashfulness on her face as Alexander entered. Her heart seemed to leap at the sight of him, though his glance merely swept past her without
pause, dimming the light in her eyes with disappointment.
Edward Sterling, the head of The Sterling family, sweated profusely under Alexander’s indifferent gaze, a stark reminder of his lack of standing. Eleanor, sensing her husband’s panic, tugged at his sleeve.
“Mr. Alexander, feel free to take this troublesome girl. Just please, don’t hold a grudge against The Sterling. She’s just an adopted child…”
With those words, The Sterling
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Setting
Chapter 4: Making Her Pay
family disowned Isabella as cleanly
as if she never belonged.
Their reluctant adoption of Isabella
from an orphanage was a strategic move, aimed at bolstering The Sterling’s reputation in Riverdale with a grand display of philanthropy.
They promised to treat the poor girl as their own, a vow that rapidly elevated their standing within the community, transforming them into one of Riverdale’s esteemed
families.
Yet, to The Sterling, Isabella was nothing more than a tool, devoid of
any emotional attachment.
Alexander surveyed the crowd with a
scornful gaze, his expression
remaining uncharacteristically calm even in his rage.
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Chapter 4: Making Her Pay
“I’ll take her, but I can’t promise she’ll be returned.”
His words, icy and detached, sent a shiver through the onlookers, who could sense the gravity of his threat. Even the simplest among them
could guess Isabella’s fate hung by a thread.
The guests, weakened by Alexander’s formidable presence, tried to make themselves as small as possible, wishing to disappear.
Isabella struggled futilely against the grip of her escorts. Alexander glanced at her, his mind racing with ways to punish her if she indeed was behind the breach. He vowed to
make her pay dearly for her
audacity.
“Let’s go.”
Commanded by Alexander, Isabella
Chapter 4: Making Her Pay
was more dragged than walked out by the bodyguards, looking all the more fragile beside their bulk.
The engagement party ended in chaos, with Oliver slipping away unnoticed at Alexander’s arrival.
Isabella found herself seated next to Alexander in the car, his silhouette against the seat, eyes nearly closed.
Facing his sharp profile, Isabella feigned a tremble, daring to ask, “Alexander, where are you taking me?”
Sebastian, the driver, tensed at her audacity. In Riverdale, no one addressed Alexander so familiarly
without courting disaster.
Unexpectedly, Alexander remained
calm, though his furrowed brow betrayed his irritation.
Seeing him silent, Isabella wisely
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Chapter 4: Making Her Pay
chose not to press further, her usual composure tinged with unease at his inscrutable thoughts.
Wisteria Hall.
Isabella was unceremoniously pulled from the car, confronting the opulence of a Roman
courtyard–style mansion. Bronze
statues and luxurious fountains spoke of the owner’s prestigious
status, starkly contrasting the turmoil within her.
Isabella was escorted into the villa’s
grand hall, where Alexander sat opposite her on a sofa, his demeanor
effortlessly commanding and
intimidating, compelling a sense of
dread and submission.
“Who put you up to this?”
His voice, deep and magnetic,
snapped Isabella back to the present,
Chapter 4: Making Her Pay
her initial bewilderment quickly clouding over with fear.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why did you bring me here?”
“Who directed you to attack the Ascot Group’s servers?”
His voice, chilling to the bone, made the bodyguards and servants in the hall shiver in unison. All eyes landed on Isabella, as if awaiting a name that, once spoken, would lead to immediate erasure from the world.
Chapter 5: Watching Her T…
Chapter 5: Watching Her Torn to Pieces
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I… I’m just an orphan adopted by The Sterling…”
Isabella’s voice tapered off until it was barely audible, silencing herself under Alexander’s intimidating glare.
Acknowledging his reputation for being unforgiving, she knew any admission could lead to a fatal
outcome, despite the $2 billion loss being a minor setback for the
colossal Ascot Group.
Alexander abruptly stood and strode
towards her, his fingers harshly
grasping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze filled with dark
amusement. He had no patience for
