Chapter 190: William's Daughter
As they prepared to leave Vivian's cottage, Olivia clung to Isabella's hand, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Mommy and Joseph aren't coming back with us? I'm scared to sleep alone at night!"
At home, Olivia had always slept in her own room without issue. This was clearly just an excuse to keep Isabella close.
Seeing Olivia's pitiful expression, Isabella's heart twisted with guilt.
She knelt down and gently stroked her daughter's hair.
"Mommy's staying here because there's something very important I need to do. I know you're an incredibly brave girl who can handle sleeping on your own. Very soon, I'll be back at the hotel with you."
According to their original plan, Isabella and Joseph would return when the Canvia Championship began—perfectly timed to catch everyone off guard and evade Snake Racing's sabotage.
Olivia wrapped her arms around Isabella and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Then, taking Samantha's hand, she walked away with reluctant backward glances.
"Samantha, Mommy has to stay in this place and can't come back to the hotel because bad people are trying to hurt her, right?"
Samantha nodded gently. "Yes."
"Does Olivia's school have competitions?"
Olivia nodded vigorously. "Kids compete in singing, dancing, and sports day!"
"Before sports day starts, all the kids work really hard to get in shape so they can win medals. But some people want to cheat, so they put nails on other kids' running tracks to stop them from competing. Then they think they'll automatically become first place."
Samantha tried to explain the cutthroat world of racing rivalries in terms a five-year-old could understand.
When she finished, Olivia's eyes went wide.
"How can anyone be so mean!"
Samantha gave a bitter smile. "That's exactly what those bad people did to your mommy and Joseph. If they go back to the hotel now, they'll be in even more danger."
They'd been lucky to escape the sabotage this time, but there was no guarantee they'd be safe again.
For now, the best strategy was for Isabella and Joseph to stay hidden here. As long as everyone believed they were dead, no one would waste energy targeting Romantic Racing.
Samantha gazed at the distant town, her thoughts growing heavier.
Without access to proper track practice like the other teams, Isabella and Joseph faced enormous obstacles ahead.
Could they really win the championship? Samantha wasn't sure.
The group trudged through the snow and wind for what felt like an eternity. When Olivia couldn't walk anymore, Richard carried her. They moved in fits and starts until they finally reached the hotel.
As they headed straight for the elevators, Laura's voice suddenly rang out from across the lobby.
"Wait!"
"The snow's terrible out there. Where have you all been?" Laura eyed the exhausted group with suspicion, her gaze sweeping over each of them in turn.
What could possibly be important enough to drag a child out into a blizzard?
William appeared beside her, Nathan in tow.
"What gives you the right to question us?" Samantha shot back without hesitation.
Isabella was her closest friend. Laura was the homewrecker who'd destroyed Isabella's marriage. To Samantha, that made her the enemy.
And Samantha had no problem showing contempt for her enemies.
Laura deliberately looped her arm through William's. "Isabella's gone missing and everyone's devastated, but there's no need to take it out on me."
Despite claiming to be upset, Laura's expression showed nothing remotely resembling grief.
"If there's something wrong with your brain, you should get treatment before it's too late. Don't waste everyone's time here," Samantha said flatly.
She had far cruder insults waiting in reserve.
Laura's lip trembled as she put on a wounded expression.
"You're still misunderstanding me because of Isabella. I admit there've been some... misunderstandings between us, but if you'd just give me a chance to explain, you'd realize I'm not the villain you think I am. I'd really like to be friends with all of you—just like you were with Isabella."
Richard's lips curved into a cold smile as he looked at William with undisguised mockery.
"Your taste is truly abysmal. Only you could find such a trashy woman appealing."
No sooner had Richard spoken than Samantha burst into applause.
"Mr. Spencer's absolutely right! Some people have a taste for cheap garbage instead of quality goods. Revolting!"
Their sarcasm was laid on thick. Laura's carefully constructed façade of goodwill nearly cracked, her face contorting briefly before she caught herself.
"You—"
William raised a hand, cutting her off.
They needed these people's cooperation for what he was about to propose. He couldn't afford to burn bridges.
"Isabella's dead. Olivia's a minor. As my daughter, she should naturally be in my custody. Nathan would be thrilled to have his sister living with us."
He didn't phrase it as a request. It was a statement of fact.
Hearing William's words, everyone's expressions darkened.
They'd nearly forgotten about this complication.
Olivia was only five years old. With the official story being Isabella's accidental death, custody would automatically default to William.
"Thank you for looking after Olivia during this difficult time, but you won't need to trouble yourselves any longer."
Without emotion, William reached out to take Olivia from Samantha's arms.
Samantha stepped back protectively, eyeing him with suspicion.
"The police haven't recovered Isabella's body. How can you be so certain she's dead? Unless... you had something to do with it?"
William's eyes went cold.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"The conclusion that Isabella fell into a glacial crevasse came from the police investigation. What kind of person could survive two full days submerged in a glacier and walk away unharmed?"
Anyone with that kind of supernatural endurance should be locked in a research facility for scientific study.
"I'd prefer not to resort to legal measures, but Olivia is my daughter. Even if this goes to court, any judge will award custody to me. I'm trying to handle this discreetly."
"Until Isabella's body is found, you have no right to discuss custody," Samantha said icily, refusing to back down.
Anger flickered in William's eyes.
"Isabella and I are still legally married. Parental rights belong to both of us. There's no transfer of custody to discuss."