Chapt 2. Mr. Lancaster, Long Time No See

Thud.

Isabella Carter's forehead slammed against the window, a sharp pain just shot through her. She rubbed the spot gently and looked up to see what had happened.

The driver cursed under but eventually got out of the bus.

His face turned green the moment he saw the car he hit was a Bentley.

"Damn it! I knew picking up scum from prison every day would bring bad luck. Nothing good ever comes of this..."

As Isabel was getting out of the car, the hot-tempered driver shoved her hard, and she fell into the snow.

Curious onlookers stared; their gazes were mostly contemptuous. Her face paled as she lowered her head; a mix of shame and pain was washing over her.

Then, a pair of gleaming leather shoes appeared in her sight.

She froze, her eyes tracing upward along the perfectly tailored suit pants… until they landed on the face that had haunted her dreams countless times over the past two years.

Dominic Lancaster.

That year, when Isabella was born, Madam Carter had a fortune-teller read her fate. He predicted that her first twenty years would be smooth and full of happiness, but the rest of her life would be full of hardship.

And now, after all these years, it seemed the prophecy had come true.

Dominic looked even more refined and imposing than two years ago—but the loathing in his eyes remained unchanged.

She stared at him blankly for a long moment before suddenly realizing how disheveled she must’ve looked. She lowered her head and struggled to get up, but as soon as she moved, his black umbrella pressed down on her shoulder.

"Two years and you’ve gone mute? Can’t even greet me properly??"

Her leg throbbed painfully, and with him pressing her down to the ground, her knee felt like it was being stabbed with needles. The sweat prickled on her forehead even under such a low temperature. She gritted her teeth and spoke in a trembling voice, "D-Dominic… long time no see."

Dominic looked down at her with a measuring gaze. He hadn’t been able to see clearly in the car, but now, stepping out, he realized it was truly her. He even seemed to forget that today was the day of her release.

Isabella had changed drastically.

Her meticulously cared-for long hair had been chopped into a uniform, ear-length bob like all the female prisoners, dry as straw. Her face was sallow, marred by overlapping fresh and old scars.

She bore no resemblance to the spirited young princess of the Carter Family he remembered.

He wasn't surprised, though. After all, how well could anyone fare after coming out of that place? Yet seeing her in such a pitiful state, the coldness in Dominic's eyes intensified, sharper than the biting winter wind around them.

"You've truly changed," he muttered.

Isabella blinked and looked up. Dominic reached into his pocket and lit a cigarette. The thick, white smoke swirled around his already devastatingly handsome features, making him even more breathtaking. 

He chuckled softly. "Since our driver is convinced he's having a bad day, let's not prove him wrong. Secretary Lee, record his employee ID and send him the compensation agreement later."

The driver froze, as if struck by lightning.

Isabella remained rooted to the spot, unsure how to react. Dominic Lancaster, just like the same as he had been two years ago—ruthless, decisive, and leaving no room for negotiation.

She couldn't afford the consequence of provoking him.

"Dominic… If you have no further business with me, may I leave?"

"Leave?" He caught the word, lifting her chin with the tip of his umbrella. His voice was icy. "Isabella, you should know… two years of atonement is far too short for your sins."

A violent shiver ran through Isabella—not from the cold, but from fear.

The torment she had endured in prison still clung to her bones. Just the thought of it made her tremble. When she was sent away, the Carter family had already abandoned her. For two years, no one had visited.

She knew Dominic was behind all of this.

To him, she was nothing but meat on the chopping block—something to be cut apart at will, with no chance to resist.

But now…