LOGINBruce and Claudia's relationship was fake. Their intimate contact and closeness had been a performance for others.A dizzying, almost overwhelming surge of ecstasy rose within Isolde, shattering the heavy weight that had pressed on her chest moments before.Isolde's heart pounded against her ribs. She lifted a hand to her chest, which felt scalding hot. Without realizing it, had her feelings for Bruce already deepened to this extent?The pain of his betrayal could tear her apart, yet the thought of his innocence could lift her from hell to the clouds in an instant.Her emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness—slipped beyond her control.The realization made her chest tremble.Isolde had never been indecisive or hesitant. Now that she understood her own heart, she had no reason to retreat or hide.She had to go back to Bruce. She had to ask him face to face. Was what Ezra said true? What exactly had he hidden from her, and how much?She turned at once and retraced her steps.Mean
It was a solid, powerful kick. Isolde no longer cared about any sense of debt or reason."Bruce, I never want to see you again!" She spun around in anger and stormed off.Bruce let out a muffled grunt. Sharp pain shot up from his calf, but even as it struck, a wild spark of delight flared in his eyes.…Isolde ran without stopping until the cold night wind cut across her face like a blade. At last, she halted beneath a deserted eave, gasping for air.Her chest heaved violently. Each breath came deep and urgent, yet no matter how much she inhaled, it never felt like enough.The tightness and suffocating pressure did not ease after she left. In the silence, they only intensified, pressing heavily against her chest. The sensation felt like a massive stone expanding within her, twisting her insides until the pain grew so unbearable she wanted to tear it open with her hands.She should not feel this way.She already knew, didn't she? She had accepted it. Had she not forced herself t
In the misty steam of the hot spring, Bruce and Claudia stood dangerously close, their proximity creating a scene that felt intimate, sensuous, and painfully sharp to the eye.Isolde knew they shared a connection. She believed she had accepted it and had restrained herself with thoughts of repayment and reason.But when she saw it with her own eyes, saw them together in the pool, so open and unguarded, and saw him hold her in his arms, the last thread of her rationality snapped with a deafening crack.Her entire body trembled uncontrollably. An icy chill shot up from her feet, as if her blood had reversed and crept through every limb and joint. Her heart felt seized by an invisible hand and twisted tight, the pain so sharp she could barely breathe.A destructive impulse surged through her mind. She wanted to rush forward and drag Claudia out of the pool. She wanted to tear away the hand Bruce had placed on another woman.Her breathing grew rapid and harsh, and darkness flickered a
Claudia had been staring at her phone when the sudden commotion made her snap her head up.In the next instant, her eyes widened, and her phone nearly slipped into the water. "Holy shit?!"Bruce stood before her, his strong, well-built body fully exposed in the steamy air and warm lighting.Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, muscles defined with power and precision. Droplets of water slid down his sculpted abs and along the sharp lines of his V-line.The sight was striking, so alluring that it quickened her pulse.'No wonder he's the man I've set my sights on.' The thought surfaced at the worst possible moment, and she swallowed instinctively.Almost at once, doubt and unease washed over her, like cold water dousing any lingering infatuation.She fixed a wary gaze on Bruce as he stepped into the hot spring. She barely registered the beauty before she leaned back, her voice tight. "Bruce, what exactly is your scheme?"Last time, he had soaked in a wetsuit, fully covered, not even
Claudia's chest heaved with anger, the fringe of her dress trembling. "You had an agreement with me. I helped treat Isolde's hands. How can you turn around and fund Ydoria? This is outright betrayal!""Betrayal?" Bruce gave a low, mocking chuckle. "When Your Highness used me as a shield, publicly revealed our relationship on your own, and forced me to play along in this charade… that wasn't betrayal?"He crushed the cigarette into a nearby sandstone ashtray, his movements measured yet heavy with unspoken pressure. "I'm simply learning from Your Highness' way of handling matters and returning the favor."Claudia fell silent, anger rushing to her face and threatening to break her composure.Through clenched teeth, she said, "Bruce, don't forget that Isolde's hands are still under my medical team's care. At my command, I could cripple her for life. If she becomes disabled, she'll suffer forever, and she'll hate you forever."This was her final and strongest bargaining chip.Bruce's
The madness and recklessness burning in Isolde's eyes made Claudia's heart tighten.The smug, provocative expression on Claudia's face faltered at once.No matter what Bruce was planning, the one-week agreement had not yet ended, and everything had yet to unfold. If Isolde lost all reason and caused a scene, all plans would collapse, and every prior effort and calculation would go to waste.The sense of being held by the throat, especially by someone like Isolde whom she had never taken seriously, was unbearable.Claudia's expression darkened, her face turning both pale and flushed, her arrogant composure nearly impossible to maintain. "Isolde, you only know how to act tough in front of me. Bruce has wronged and betrayed you like this, yet you don't even dare raise your voice at him?"She stepped closer, her gaze sharp. "Are you so in love with him that you've lost yourself, or… do you not love him at all, which is why you can endure this so calmly?"The two of you don't look lik
Isolde sneered, "Leave? Right now I have no power, no status, and no one to rely on. If I leave, I'll either be dragged back by Alan or ambushed by you halfway."If nothing good is going to come out of it anyway, why not flip the table and watch it all fall apart? If everyone goes down together, is
Isolde's fingers dug into the handles of the wheelchair until her knuckles blanched."Go back to your side and let you imprison me?" A cold laugh escaped her. The smile that followed looked resolute and tragically beautiful, like a flower blooming at the edge of a cliff. "Alan Princeton, I would ra
Not long after, Cheron grew weak and drifted into sleep.The doctors informed everyone that he needed rest and asked them to leave the room.Once outside, the air of grief vanished at once.The elders who supported Alan looked openly pleased, their faces marked by pride and satisfaction.Monroe
The truth remained unclear, and the matter was already mired in controversy.Most people saw Sandra, her face streaked with tears, as pitiable. By contrast, Isolde, watching coldly from the side, appeared to harbor nothing but contempt and hostility.Under such circumstances, Isolde's continued pr







