Chapter 4

Isabella’s POV

After returning to the manor, the agency delivered their findings on Julian, Vivienne, and Sebastian.

Julian and Vivienne had started sleeping together nearly a year ago. Since then, they’d met behind my back countless times—taking trips funded by my family, exchanging confidential information, and letting Julian into Vale business matters he should never have known.

One report stood out. Three months earlier, a major deal between the Vale family and another powerful house had collapsed at the last minute. My father believed the other Don had simply backed out.

The truth was uglier. Vivienne had leaked our pricing to Julian. He’d used it to undercut the deal—negotiating for his own benefit.

There was one thing my father would never forgive: betrayal of the family’s business. That was part of the reason he’d asked me to choose—marriage or inheritance. If I married Julian, I would no longer be a Vale. I would have to step away from everything.

If my father learned that Vivienne had been feeding family secrets to an outsider, he wouldn’t hesitate to cast her out.

As for Sebastian—he and Vivienne went way back. He’d actually been her boyfriend, long before her mother married my father.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The best friend I thought I had was nothing more than a careful manipulator. The boyfriend I loved had been cheating on me with my stepsister. And the sister I had welcomed with open arms—trusted, defended, loved—was a monster. Taking the Don’s seat wasn’t enough for her. She wanted me destroyed. Miserably.

Knowing the truth didn’t shake me. It only steadied me.

With every ugly detail laid bare now, I would move forward with my plan—more determined than ever.

…

I spent the next day buried in back‑to‑back meetings with family lawyers and my father’s most trusted men—learning what it truly meant to become the Don and catching up on the latest Vale affairs.

Vivienne, meanwhile, was indulging in something very different.

She went on a shopping spree, fully convinced the family fortune already belonged to her.

That wasn’t all.

She went as far as hosting a private gambling night inside the Vale manor itself.

I wasn’t invited. I was told I needed to “prepare for the party.” That I didn’t need to worry about things that weren’t my concern.

But I still slipped out anyway and made my way toward the room where it was happening. I didn’t even get close before I heard Vivienne’s voice.

“Not again,” she pouted. “I’ve lost almost a million tonight. I can’t be this unlucky.”

A man chuckled. “If you don’t want to pay a million, we can settle the debt another way.”

Vivienne laughed lightly. “Please. I know your little kink. You like tying women up and watching them suffer. I’m not into that.”

His voice dropped. “Then you’d better pay before we leave this house tonight.”

Vivienne didn’t sound worried. “I didn’t say the other way wouldn’t work. I have a stepsister—Isabella. Have you met her?”

Another man snorted. “You mean that Bella who follows Julian around like a crazy fangirl?”

“That’s the one,” Vivienne said without hesitation. “I can deliver her to you.”

“For real?” The first man laughed, low and ugly. “The Don would let you hand over his daughter?”

“The Don?” Vivienne scoffed. “I am the Don of Vale. If she—or her sick father—objects, what can they do about it?”

The man laughed again. “She’ll do. But you knew me—I like my women powerless. What’s the word for liking them… disabled?”

“Abasiophilia?” Vivienne laughed. “That can be arranged. When I deliver her to you, she’ll be exactly how you want.”

Julian smirked. “Perfect. It’ll make it easier to keep her in line later. Where else could she go without us?”

I held my breath.

'Exactly how he wanted.’ Disabled. Broken. Their words sent cold straight through me.

“How do you plan to pull that off?” the man asked.

Vivienne smiled, cool and composed. “A little accident here and there should do the trick.”

I quietly stepped back and returned to my room, forcing myself to breathe steadily.

Facing Vivienne always made me uneasy—not because I was weak, but because I could never be as cruel as she was.

For a moment, I considered going to my father.

Then I stopped myself. I couldn’t afford to lose control now. I was strong enough to deal with her and whatever she planned to pull next. I just had to be more cautious from now on.

…

The next day, in broad daylight, Vivienne showed up at my door and suggested we go horseback riding. It had always been my thing.

But this invitation didn’t feel like a friendly gesture. It felt like the setup—the kind of “accident” she mentioned last night.

Vivienne smiled, looping her arm through mine. “I thought, at the very least, we could do something fun today. Something you enjoy—before your big day tomorrow.”

If she wanted a show, I could give her one.

I wore my most innocent smile. “Sure.”

When we arrived at the ranch, my usual horse was gone—missing, they said. Instead, another horse was brought out and handed over to me.

He was untrained—probably just another piece in the setup.

But Vivienne underestimated my skills. It took less than half an hour before the horse settled beneath me, responsive and calm. Almost sweet.

Just as I guided him along the lakeside, a loud bang split the air.

The horse spooked, bolting into a wild sprint. I steadied myself, murmuring softly, doing everything I could to calm him.

By the time I fell, his pace had already slowed. I wasn’t hurt. But I still screamed—for the performance.

Sure enough, Vivienne came running. Her face was painted with worry, but beneath it… I saw it.

The excitement. The smug little sneer she tried to hide.

At the hospital, when doctor asked about what happened.

“It was just an accident,” Vivienne cried, voice trembling. “You have to save my sister. She just got engaged. She’s so young…”

I wasn’t nearly as injured as she made it sound.

When the doctor wheeled me toward the imaging room, I caught his attention and quietly spoke.

“Whatever she says,” I told him, “just tell her I can’t feel anything below my ankle. That I’ll never stand or walk again.”

He hesitated, confused.

I explained calmly that today hadn’t been an accident. That my fall was, but everything else wasn’t. It would be better for everyone if this stayed quiet. I even mentioned compensation.

When the doctor delivered the news, that unmistakeable excitement lit up in Vivienne’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Bella,” she sobbed dramatically. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be spending your birthday in a wheelchair.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s fine,” I said gently. “You couldn’t have known.”

“True,” Vivienne said, clearing her throat. “But look on the bright side—Julian won’t think any less of you. And since you’ll be marrying him soon…”

I looked at the flawless performance unfolding in front of me and thought—bravo. Few people could be as convincing as Vivienne.

Still, I hoped she’d be just as happy on my birthday.

After all, the old saying goes—you shouldn’t get too cocky too soon. You never know what’s coming next.