Chapter 234: No Longer a Puppet
No one could have anticipated William's unwavering resolve.
The moment those words left his lips, he scooped Olivia into one arm, grabbed Isabella's hand with the other, and strode purposefully out of Montagu Manor.
Isabella stumbled, caught off guard by his sudden movement. Her feet scrambled to keep the pace as he dragged her forward. Once they reached the courtyard, she wrenched her hand free.
"Have you lost your mind? This divorce is between us. Are you really going to drag me into your family drama just to keep clinging to me?"
Whatever flaws Sophia and Henry had, they were still his biological parents.
In Isabella's view, blood ties couldn't simply be severed.
More to the point, she and William had never shared any real emotional connection. At best, they'd been husband and wife in name. At worst? Roommates who'd cohabitated for six years. Now that they were going separate ways, surely even William had seen this coming.
He finally had the perfect excuse to be with Laura openly. So why was he still making such a scene? Isabella realized she didn't understand William at all.
Their entire relationship had been that of strangers forced together—two porcupines huddled close, doomed to nothing but mutual pain.
Olivia clung to William's neck, her wide eyes locked on Isabella in silent terror. Though her small arms wrapped around her father for support, her expression screamed one clear message: take me back to Mommy.
William studied Isabella's agitated face for a long moment before his lips twisted into a cold smile. "You're right. I must be insane."
Insane enough to break things off with Laura. Insane enough to fight his own parents to this point. All for Isabella.
"No matter who you ask, I won't agree to the divorce. Even if a court forces the issue, I'll appeal."
Isabella stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"What's the point of all this?"
"There is no point," William shot back immediately.
Sophia and Laura had recovered from their shock and emerged from the house. They stood framed in the doorway, watching the standoff in stony silence.
Sophia's gaze bore down on Isabella like a crushing weight—hostile, oppressive, unmistakable.
Isabella knew that look all too well.
The understanding and tolerance Sophia had displayed earlier? Pure theater. A performance designed to showcase her magnanimity to the world.
This was Sophia's true face.
"Even if you've gone mad, don't drag Olivia and me down with you. Let us go." Isabella's voice shook with anger.
"I nearly forgot to mention—Olivia is my granddaughter. She carries Montagu blood in her veins. She belongs to this family. You're free to leave, Isabella. But Olivia stays."
Sophia's pronouncement shattered the last fragile barrier around Isabella's heart.
William had publicly defied his mother's authority. Now Sophia needed to reassert her dominance elsewhere.
Olivia's custody was the perfect battleground.
Isabella's expression hardened as she locked eyes with Sophia, her gaze turning glacial.
"Even if you take this to court, any judge will prioritize the parent with greater means and stability. You don't stand a chance." Sophia delivered her verdict like an executioner, simultaneously demonstrating her iron grip over William.
William tightened his hold on Olivia. "I'm not divorcing Isabella. And none of you will ever fight with me over custody."
Nathan squeezed between Sophia and Laura, staring in bewilderment at his parents standing united against the entire family.
"Daddy, are you abandoning me too?" The boy's voice cracked with disbelief.
William's dark gaze fell on his son.
Laura had already placed a restraining hand on Nathan's shoulder. "Sweetheart, this isn't something for children to worry about."
But Nathan ignored her completely, his eyes fixed solely on William and Isabella, unable to accept that neither parent wanted him anymore.
"Think carefully, William. The moment you walk out that door, there's no coming back. Your father and I have every right to strip you of everything you've built. Can you really bear to watch years of your life's work turn to ash?"
Sophia had watched her son take control of Summit Holdings from day one—witnessed him systematically win over rebellious shareholders and board members, and watched him elevate the company to the upper echelon of domestic corporations.
Every decision, every ounce of effort had been soaked in William's blood, sweat, and tears.
Summit Holdings was like his child. Could he truly walk away?
"I've thought about it more clearly than ever. That's exactly why I refuse to keep playing the puppet—letting this family pull my strings, arranging every aspect of my life."
Still holding Olivia, William spoke with devastating finality, each word heavy as lead.
"I'm done walking the path you've laid out for me. Done being your so-called CEO of Summit Holdings."
Too many eyes watched his every move. Who he married, who he spent time with—every step affected the entire family legacy.
The burden had grown unbearable, crushing him until he couldn't even catch his breath. From the moment he'd turned eighteen, every waking hour had been consumed by corporate warfare—manipulation, deception, endless power plays.
Living this way, every second at Montagu Manor felt like torture.
Now even his marriage had become another chess piece for others to control. William had finally reached his breaking point.
"Feel free to find some capable relative from a branch family. Let them shoulder Summit Holdings' burden. The position's all theirs—whoever wants it can have it!"
With that, William seized Isabella's wrist once more and marched her straight through the Montagu Manor gates.
The moment William pushed Isabella into the car and settled Olivia in the back, Isabella threw open the opposite door and pulled her daughter back out.
"I have zero interest in playing out your 'us against the world' fantasy. If you want to perform that drama, do it with Laura. Leave Olivia and me out of it."
Isabella buckled her daughter into her own vehicle and peeled away from Montagu Manor like she was fleeing an outbreak.
Olivia sat strapped in her car seat, still too shocked to fully process what had happened.
"Mommy, I'm scared! I don't want to live with Grandma and Grandpa—I only want to stay with you! Daddy and Grandma looked so scary just now. I was so frightened!" Olivia's voice broke into frightened sobs.
Isabella's heart clenched painfully.
She pulled over to the roadside and twisted around to face her daughter, her voice gentle and reassuring.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mommy will never let them take you away. You're staying right here with me. No onecan take you from me."