Chapter 146: Celebrity Worship in Her Youth
Isabella immediately recognized there was something wrong with the autographed photo.
Back when she was Victoria, racing culture wasn't as flourishing as it is today, and only a handful of top-tier drivers had their own merchandise lines.
Isabella had indeed released some signed photographs by invitation and had autographed items for fans.
But she definitely didn't remember ever signing this particular photo, and while the handwriting was a convincing imitation, it certainly wasn't hers.
She hadn't expected Laura to go so far as to forge autographed photos just to please Nathan. Isabella let out a small laugh and put her phone back on her desk.
Laura must be exhausted, constantly maintaining the public persona of being a good mother, working hard to make everyone believe Nathan was her biological son, while also having to cater to William internally and even coddle Nathan.
Isabella quickly pushed Laura's antics from her mind and immersed herself in her work.
She got off work early today and arrived home by seven-thirty.
Mary was cooking in the kitchen while Olivia sat obediently in the living room, playing quietly.
"Ms. Capulet, I made cream of mushroom soup today. Olivia said she wanted a tomahawk steak, and I also prepared some stir-fried vegetables. If there's anything else you'd like, I can add it."
Mary emerged from the kitchen, bringing delicious aromas with her. Isabella squinted slightly and nodded approvingly.
"That's already quite a feast. No need to add anything else."
Olivia was just a child who wouldn't eat much anyway—really, there were only the two adults to feed.
"Ms. Capulet, just wait a little longer. I'll have everything ready soon!" Mary said, turning back toward the kitchen.
Isabella changed into comfortable clothes and came out to find Olivia lying on the sofa with her tablet.
She walked over and gently patted Olivia's bottom. "Didn't we agree that you need to keep your eyes at a proper distance when using this? What are you doing that has you so focused?"
The TV was still playing Olivia's favorite cartoon, but she was completely absorbed in her tablet instead.
"I'm watching racing videos Joseph sent me of Mommy from before. I had no idea Mommy used to be so amazing!"
Isabella leaned over for a look and saw that Joseph had sent practice footage. "If you like it, when you're older, I'll have Joseph be your coach and teach you racing, too."
Olivia's eyes immediately lit up, but she still shook her head. "I think Mommy is the most amazing driver ever. I don't want Joseph to teach me—I want Mommy to teach me!"
Her sweet words instantly warmed Isabella's heart. After stroking her hair, she urged Olivia to go wash her hands for dinner.
"Mommy, I saw online that Joseph's team used to have this really amazing female driver named Victoria, and she's so cool! Can you ask Joseph for an autographed photo? I want to collect it."
Olivia snuggled against Isabella's knee like a soft, adorable puppy, blinking her big, bright eyes.
"What do you want an autographed photo for?" Isabella asked, puzzled.
Olivia had never been interested in such things before. Why was she suddenly wanting to collect Victoria memorabilia?
Olivia pouted. "Because I really like this driver, so I want a photo to keep as a treasure, just like how adults have celebrity crushes. Then, when I think about it later, I'll have beautiful memories."
Olivia made quite a convincing argument, and Isabella was easily persuaded. She stood up and headed toward the study.
"Come on then, let me look for something."
Isabella had a large photo album filled entirely with pictures from her racing days—some taken by team friends, others sent by media outlets. It had been gathering dust for years until Joseph's return prompted her to dig it out again.
Finding the album on the bookshelf, Isabella opened it, and Olivia immediately gasped with wonder, her eyes lighting up again.
"Mommy has so many signed photos! Is this Joseph? Who's this person? This guy looks really handsome, too."
It was a team group photo taken not long after Joseph had joined—a full team portrait.
Seeing this photograph again, Isabella felt a complex mix of emotions stirring within her.
She hadn't seen any of them for eight whole years.
"This is Samantha, this is Zack—" Isabella pointed out each person to Olivia. When she reached herself in the helmet, her voice noticeably caught. "And this one is the Victoria you've all been talking about."
Olivia flipped through the photos one by one. When she saw pictures of ten-year-old Joseph, her jaw nearly dropped.
"Joseph was so much better looking before he got all those piercings! Back then, he looked just like a TV star!" she said, pointing to a photo of Joseph from his early career.
In this picture, Joseph had just turned eighteen, holding a large cake and flashing a youthful smile at the camera.
Isabella covered her mouth and laughed. "Right after this photo was taken, that entire cake got smashed right into Joseph's face. He and Zack didn't speak to each other for a whole week afterward. If it hadn't been for Samantha, they could have gone a year without talking!"
Olivia cupped her face in her hands, looking at Isabella intently, then suddenly asked, "Mommy, why aren't you in any of these photos? How do you know so much about Joseph?"
Her big eyes were filled with big questions, clearly curious about Isabella's past.
Isabella quickly suppressed her tears.
She hadn't yet figured out how to reveal her identity to Olivia, and she worried that Olivia might not be able to keep the secret—what if she let it slip? So Isabella remained cautious.
She quickly pulled out a Victoria autographed photo from the album.
"Because we used to be very good friends, and I was also a fan of the team, so that's how I know so much about them."
"Mommy used to have celebrity crushes when she was young?" Olivia asked in amazement.
Isabella burst out laughing. "I wasn't born a mommy, you know. When I was your age, I had my favorite cartoons too, and when I was in school, I had favorite celebrities as well."
Olivia carefully collected the signed photo, looking at Isabella with a thoughtful expression and nodding seriously.
Her little mind was gaining a few more pieces of understanding about how the world worked.
"Mommy, I promise I'll treasure this autographed photo!" She looked at the photo as if it were a precious treasure, holding it carefully in her palms.
Isabella wanted to tell her that she had as many such photos as she could want at home.
But after a moment's hesitation, she decided against it, simply smiling as she watched Olivia run out of the room.