CHAPTER FOUR

Isabella’s POV

“Mr. Blackwood, your wife has already selected twelve outfits. Are you sure you want us to bring out more?”

The sales assistant looked almost as uncomfortable as I felt.

Nathaniel, however, barely glanced up from his phone.

“Has she found everything she wants?”

“Not exactly, sir. She mentioned that some of the prices were rather high.”

He finally looked at me. “Isabella, I thought we agreed that you would choose whatever you liked.”

I shifted in my seat. “We did but Nathaniel, there's no reason to spend fifteen thousand dollars on a dress when I can get something equally beautiful for a fraction of that amount.”

“Then choose the less expensive one if you prefer it.”

I relaxed. “That's what I've been trying to do.”

“But don't reject something you genuinely like simply because of the price.”

Before I could respond, he removed a black card from his wallet and handed it to the sales assistant.

“Please put everything my wife selects on this card. And make sure she sees the full collection. I don't want prices limiting her choices.”

The assistant's eyes widened. “Of course, Mr. Blackwood!”

I turned towards him. “Nathaniel!”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“You can't just give them your card and tell them to bring out everything.”

“Why not?”

“Because they'll probably empty the entire store!”

“Then you'll have plenty to choose from.”

I stared at him.

Was he joking?

His expression gave nothing away.

I tried listening to his thoughts.

As usual, there was nothing.

It was becoming increasingly frustrating.

I could hear what almost everyone around me was thinking, yet the one person whose intentions I most wanted to understand remained a complete mystery.

“Nathaniel, I appreciate this but I don't need so many things.”

He set his phone aside. “Then don't buy so many things.”

“You're making this very difficult.”

“How?”

“By agreeing with everything I say!”

For a moment, he looked genuinely surprised.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

It was such a small movement that I almost missed it.

“Would you prefer an argument?”

I laughed before I could stop myself.

“No. I suppose not.”

“Good. Then choose what you like.”

I shook my head and returned to the clothing racks.

We had arrived at the prestigious Westbridge Galleria almost two hours earlier.

The mall housed some of the country's most expensive fashion houses, and Nathaniel seemed perfectly comfortable walking into every store I showed even the slightest interest in.

At first, I had been reluctant to choose anything.

In my previous life, Adrian had monitored every purchase I made.

Even after Cole Global became successful, he would question why I needed another pair of shoes or a new dress.

Meanwhile, he spent millions on luxury cars and expensive watches without hesitation.

I had eventually stopped asking him for anything.

Now, standing inside a boutique where a single handbag cost more than my annual university tuition, I struggled to understand why Nathaniel was being so generous.

But I wasn't going to mistake generosity for love.

I had learned that lesson the hard way.

***

By the time we finished shopping, I had purchased several dresses, work outfits, comfortable shoes and a few accessories.

Nathaniel had also insisted that I choose a laptop after I mentioned that my old one had become unreliable.

“You'll need something dependable if you're planning to work,” he said.

I had tried to explain that my current laptop still functioned.

He simply asked whether it functioned well.

Unfortunately, I couldn't lie.

Now a brand-new laptop sat among the shopping bags being loaded into the car.

“Thank you,” I said as we stepped outside the mall.

Nathaniel glanced at me.

“You've thanked me several times already.”

“Because you've done a lot.”

“It was a shopping trip, Isabella.”

“A very expensive shopping trip.”

He didn't respond.

Instead, he reached for the two bags I was carrying.

“I can manage,” I protested.

“I know.”

He took them anyway.

I looked at him in surprise.

Nathaniel Blackwood, chairman of Blackwood Holdings, was carrying shopping bags for his wife.

If Vanessa saw this, she would probably faint.

As though my thoughts had summoned her, a familiar voice rang out behind us.

“Isabella?”

I stopped.

Vanessa stood beside a roadside stall a short distance from the mall's entrance.

Adrian was next to her, arguing with the vendor over the price of a handbag.

“That's ridiculous,” Adrian was saying. “You told us it was eighty dollars five minutes ago.”

“And I told you seventy-five is my final price,” the vendor replied.

Vanessa grabbed his arm.

“Adrian, forget it. We can find something cheaper elsewhere.”

Then she noticed the bags in Nathaniel's hands.

Her expression changed.

What? Nathaniel is carrying her shopping bags?

I almost smiled.

“Hello, Vanessa.”

She approached us, pulling Adrian along.

“Isabella! What a coincidence.”

Her eyes travelled from my new handbag to Nathaniel's expensive wristwatch.

Then she looked at the shopping bags again.

This is impossible. Nathaniel never accompanied me shopping in our previous life. Whenever I asked him to come, he said he was busy.

I glanced at Nathaniel.

He stood beside me, calm and completely unaware of the storm gathering inside my sister's head.

Even when I spent my own money, he complained that I was wasting time. So why is he standing here carrying bags for Isabella?

Vanessa forced a smile. “I see you've been shopping.”

“Yes.”

“At Westbridge Galleria?”

I nodded.

She laughed lightly.

“Well, I suppose some women enjoy spending their husbands' money on expensive things.”

Adrian finally looked up.

His gaze moved over the shopping bags.

“Those stores are ridiculously overpriced.”

Nathaniel said nothing.

Vanessa immediately nodded. “Exactly! I've always believed that happiness comes from living simply. Adrian and I were just looking at a few things here, and honestly, I'd rather buy something affordable than waste thousands of dollars on a designer label.”

That handbag she's carrying must have cost at least ten thousand dollars. I wanted that exact design last year but Nathaniel refused to buy it for me!

I looked down at my handbag.

Interesting.

Vanessa had always loved expensive things.

Apparently, her new appreciation for simplicity had developed only after she realised Adrian couldn't afford her previous lifestyle.

“There's nothing wrong with buying what you can afford,” I said.

Her smile tightened. “Of course not. That's exactly my point.”

She turned towards Nathaniel.

“Mr. Blackwood, I hope Isabella hasn't been giving you too much trouble. My sister has always been rather careless with money.”

I raised an eyebrow.

Careless?

I had paid my own tuition, supported myself through university, and saved enough money to fund my future investments.

Vanessa, meanwhile, had once spent thirty thousand dollars on a birthday party.

But I remained silent.

I wanted to see how Nathaniel would respond.

He looked at Vanessa. “Is there a problem?”

She blinked. “Oh, no! I was only saying that Isabella should be more considerate. After all, marriage isn't about how much money a woman can get from her husband.”

Surely he'll agree with me. Nathaniel hates wasteful women. He'll probably scold her once they're alone.

Adrian folded his arms.

“She's right. A sensible woman should understand the value of money.”

Nathaniel's expression remained unchanged.

Then he spoke. “I'm the one who asked her to come shopping with me, and I'm the one who wanted to buy these things for her.”

Vanessa froze.

Nathaniel continued calmly. “Isabella hasn't asked me for anything unreasonable. In fact, I've had to encourage her to choose what she likes.”

I stared at him.

He wasn't angry.

He hadn't raised his voice.

Yet somehow, his words made Vanessa look as though someone had slapped her.

He defended her? Nathaniel actually defended Isabella?

Adrian cleared his throat. “Well, it's your money.”

“Yes,” Nathaniel replied. “It is.”

An uncomfortable silence followed.

Vanessa recovered first. “Of course! I didn't mean anything by it. I was only concerned about my sister.”

Why is he treating her differently? What does Isabella have that I didn't?

I almost felt tempted to answer.

But there was no reason to argue.

Vanessa had chosen Adrian because she believed wealth would guarantee happiness.

I had chosen Nathaniel because I wanted a life where I could make my own decisions.

Whatever happened next, I had no intention of turning my marriage into a competition.

I slipped my hand through Nathaniel's arm.

“Shall we go? I'm getting tired.”

He looked down at me.

“Of course.”

Then he turned towards Adrian and Vanessa.

“Enjoy your afternoon.”

With that, we walked away.

I could feel Vanessa staring at us.

This isn't how things happened before. Nathaniel isn't supposed to behave like this!

I tightened my hold on his arm slightly.

For once, I had nothing to say to my sister.

Her thoughts had already told me everything.

***

That evening, I was sitting at the desk in my bedroom, reviewing some financial reports, when my phone vibrated.

A message had appeared in the Whitmore family group chat.

Mother: Girls, your father and I have decided that it's time for a proper family dinner. We expect both of you to bring your husbands home this Saturday.

I frowned.

A family dinner?

My parents had barely spoken to me since I left.

Now they suddenly wanted us to visit.

Before I could decide whether to respond, Vanessa sent several photographs.

The first showed an expensive-looking bottle of wine.

The second displayed a beautifully wrapped gift box.

The third featured a basket filled with chocolates and other treats.

Vanessa: Adrian and I have already started preparing our gifts for Mother and Father. We wouldn't dream of visiting empty-handed! ❤️

Mother replied almost immediately.

Mother: How thoughtful of you, darling!

Then Vanessa sent another message.

Vanessa: I hope everyone remembers that this is a family dinner. It would be rather embarrassing if someone arrived without her husband or couldn't even bring a proper gift.

I stared at the screen.

She hadn't mentioned my name.

She didn't need to.

A private message arrived seconds later.

Vanessa: Isabella, Nathaniel is a very busy man. If he refuses to come with you, don't worry. I'm sure Mother and Father will understand.

I leaned back in my chair. So that was what she wanted.

She was already imagining me arriving alone while she proudly introduced Adrian as her devoted husband.

I hadn't even told Nathaniel about the invitation.

And judging by what I knew of his schedule, there was every possibility he wouldn't be available.

My phone vibrated again.

Vanessa: Just make sure you don't embarrass yourself on Saturday, little sister.

I looked at her message for a long moment.

Then I opened Nathaniel's contact.

Me: My parents have invited us to dinner on Saturday. I understand if you're too busy to attend.

I hesitated before pressing send.

For some reason, I was more nervous about his response than I wanted to admit.

And with Vanessa already waiting for me to arrive alone, I could only hope that Nathaniel wouldn't give her exactly what she wanted.