Chapter 177: Old Flames Rekindled
Isabella looked at Laura as if she were looking at a fool.
"Instead of wasting time trying to mess with us, you'd be better off figuring out how to secure an actual position with William."
To this day, Laura remained by William's side under the title of his assistant.
It wasn't just undignified—it was downright embarrassing.
Most of the gossip fell squarely on Laura's shoulders.
People called her a gold digger, accused her of trying to climb above her station.
Not a single kind word was said about her.
Laura desperately needed William to acknowledge her status, whether as his girlfriend or his wife.
Something was better than nothing.
At Isabella's words, Laura's expression instantly darkened.
She wanted to argue back, but found herself speechless. She truly had no official title.
But all of this was because Isabella and William hadn't finalized their divorce yet. It was all her fault.
Seeing Laura at a loss for words, Isabella had no intention of wasting more time on her. She pushed Nathan into the room, then turned and walked away without a backward glance.
All Laura was left with was Isabella's carefree retreating figure.
"What were you doing going to her?" Laura's face was sour as she questioned Nathan.
It was hard not to feel resentful.
If it weren't for helping Nathan fulfill his dream, they wouldn't have had to come to this freezing hellhole in the first place.
They'd been humiliated the moment they got off the plane, and now they kept losing face in front of Isabella.
No matter how shameless Laura could be, even she felt miserable.
"She's the only one who knows which room Victoria is staying in, when she'll be training..." Nathan mumbled defensively, his lip quivering.
Laura's expression hardened immediately. "I don't care what your reason is—you're staying in this room right now, and you're not going anywhere!"
Laura was seething with suppressed anger, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
But when she knocked on William's door, she was forced once again to put on that gentle, compliant facade.
"What is it?" William was handling business matters, his brow furrowed in concentration.
His gaze lingered on Laura's scantily-clad figure for only a moment before moving away, returning to the data on his computer screen.
"Isabella just came to see us," Laura said carefully.
"Mm-hmm." William's response was distracted.
Remembering Isabella's attitude and tone, Laura felt the anger in her chest rise several degrees.
"She actually said I have no official status, no right to speak to her. William... can you please just divorce her already? I'm tired of being talked to like that."
When Laura started crying, tears streaming down her face, even the most heartless person might have been moved.
Unfortunately for her, William had become immune to her tears.
"I've told you before—I'm not divorcing Isabella."
At least for now, William had no intention of ending their marriage.
Isabella had too many secrets.
The more William learned, the more he realized he didn't know her at all.
Hearing William's words, Laura was instantly filled with despair.
"Are you saying you won't marry me either?"
Her voice became slightly distorted, though it still held desperate hope for William.
"That's right." William's expression remained blank as he answered Laura's question.
Why had they gotten together in the first place?
Looking at the woman before him, William couldn't even remember why he'd initially been interested in her.
"Why?" Laura shot to her feet.
"I was willing to be a stepmother, willing to take Isabella's contempt and mockery for Nathan's sake—how can you treat me like this?"
Laura was truly crying now.
Nothing felt worse than thinking you'd invested in a rising star, only to have your hopes crushed in an instant.
"No one asked you to be Nathan's stepmother," William said, shutting his laptop and standing to look down at Laura.
She was young, beautiful, ambitious, desperate to climb the social ladder.
But the Montagu family didn't need someone like that.
If Isabella's background didn't meet the Montagu family's standards, then Laura possessed absolutely nothing that did.
She and Isabella were completely different.
She was only suitable for casual affairs, not for becoming a wife.
"I'm working. Don't disturb me," William said with cold composure.
Laura stared at him, stunned.
She couldn't accept that all her efforts had led only to this outcome.
She was becoming hysterical, while William remained as calm as if he were merely speaking to a subordinate.
His indifference was unexpectedly cruel.
"William, do you even love me?"
Laura rushed forward, blocking William's path, tears streaming down her face as she demanded an answer.
William remained coldly indifferent. "Laura, you're not a child anymore. Don't fixate on such pointless questions."
"Then what questions do you find interesting? The truth is you don't love me at all, do you?" Laura pressed aggressively.
William's attitude suggested he was observing a complete stranger, someone entirely unrelated to him.
Laura's heart grew colder by the second, her gaze equally icy.
"Why do you keep chasing after Isabella?"
"It's not all about Nathan, is it? You want to rekindle your old flame with her, don't you? You don't need me anymore, so now you can say these things. William, what am I to you? Your girlfriend or just some plaything for your amusement?"
Each of Laura's words seemed to pierce William's conscience.
Her voice grew louder and louder, her emotions increasingly volatile.
Nathan sat in the suite's living room, his small body trembling continuously.
He could sense it.
Laura was angry because of what had just happened.
He was terrified, curled up on the sofa, listening to the increasingly loud argument coming from the bedroom. Suddenly, a terrible possibility occurred to him.
After Mom and Dad had fought, Mom had abandoned him.
Would he be left behind this time too?
The fear felt like a black hole, constantly consuming Nathan's emotions.
When Laura finally tired of arguing and William no longer wanted to explain himself, the fight finally paused.
The two of them stopped arguing and gradually calmed down.
When they opened the door and emerged, they discovered the suite was unnaturally quiet.
"Nathan," Laura called out, raising her voice.
William also called out twice. The only response was heavier, more oppressive silence.
William finally realized something was wrong.
Nathan wasn't the type to be so quiet that he wouldn't make a single sound.
The only possibility was that he wasn't in the suite at all!
They searched the entire suite from top to bottom.
Nathan was indeed gone!
William reacted quickly, opening the door and preparing to search for him.
Laura frantically changed her clothes and rushed out after William.