Chapter 264: Celebrating Rebirth
Nathan finally realized he'd accidentally exposed something he shouldn't have. He panicked, crossing his arms protectively over his chest to hide the bruises from Isabella's view.
"It's nothing. I just fell on the road."
Isabella's eyes flickered briefly. She interpreted Nathan's behavior as an attempt to protect Laura.
Laura must hold quite a place in his heart. A child being abused to this extent, and he still wanted to cover for her?
"If that's the case, then there's nothing more to say." Isabella stood up, taking Olivia's hand.
If Nathan himself thought there was no problem, Isabella saw even less reason to keep pressing the issue.
If he could endure the mistreatment, so be it.
Besides, Nathan was the Montagu family's precious darling. Even without Isabella standing up for him, there would be no shortage of people looking out for him.
He would never truly suffer at the hands of the Montagues.
"Mom, can you take me with you?" Nathan followed closely behind Isabella, trailing her right out through the hospital entrance.
"Since Laura brought you here, you should go back with her." Isabella stopped and glanced back at Laura, who had chased after them.
In the taxi, Olivia pressed her face against the window, watching Nathan standing frozen at the hospital entrance.
"Mom, Nathan looks so sad. Are we being too harsh?" Olivia bit her lip, her small face full of guilt.
Isabella gently stroked Olivia's head, her expression helpless.
"When you feel sorry for others, they don't necessarily feel sorry for you. Have you forgotten what Nathan said about you at school?"
Olivia settled back into her seat properly, letting Isabella help her with the seatbelt.
She pouted, remembering the unpleasant past.
"But Nathan protected me before, too. I think Laura tricked him. He must see her true colors now. Mom, I want to forgive Nathan..."
Perhaps it was the bond between twins, but Olivia could sense Nathan's sadness.
Listening to Olivia's words, Isabella felt uncomfortable herself.
No matter how heartless she appeared, Nathan was still the child she'd carried for ten months.
To say she felt nothing would be a complete lie.
Isabella hugged Olivia's small frame tightly. "Mom's taking you home."
Once home, they wouldn't have to face these conflicts or wrestle with such difficult feelings.
Back at the hotel, Isabella immediately requested permission from Richard to return to Seaside City.
Richard agreed without hesitation.
Isabella arranged her work, booked tickets for the earliest afternoon flight, and flew back to Seaside City with Olivia.
Arriving in Seaside City, returning to the familiar city, Isabella inexplicably felt a sense of security.
She blocked all of William's contact information, determined to sever all ties with him completely.
At the same time, she told Daphne and Joseph that she and Olivia were back.
That evening, everyone rushed to Isabella's house.
Daphne brought two cases of beer, while Joseph and Samantha personally prepared Olivia's favorite chocolate cake.
Seeing Isabella's low spirits, they felt terrible for her.
After Isabella told them everything that had happened, Daphne couldn't help but sigh.
She stroked Olivia's soft head comfortingly while offering words of consolation to Isabella.
"They made their choices, so they have to face the consequences. Don't be upset. William and Nathan brought this on themselves. If they hadn't enabled Laura, none of this would've happened."
Joseph gently pinched Olivia's cheek. "See? This is what happens when you betray your mother. Not just anyone can replace Mom."
Those who haven't carried a child for ten months couldn't understand the depth of that bond.
From the moment Nathan chose Laura, Isabella felt as if her heart had been ripped out and forced to regrow from scratch.
After that piercing pain faded, all that remained was indifference to everything.
Daphne raised her glass. "Today we're gathered here to celebrate our dear Isabella finally breaking free from the shadows of her past and embracing rebirth!"
Joseph and Samantha drained their glasses in one go, their eyes full of genuine congratulations.
Compared to legal ties, severing emotional connections was far more significant.
Zack couldn't drink alcohol, so like Olivia, he held a glass of orange juice for the toast.
Olivia had learned some adult customs—like finishing your entire drink when toasting.
She followed suit, draining her orange juice completely.
The adults around her burst into laughter, watching her with nothing but adoration in their eyes.
"Our racing team just started operations, and this year's rookies are pretty talented. If you're interested, come help train them." Samantha was already strategically booking Isabella's schedule in advance.
Juggling two laboratories and the racing team would be no small challenge.
Isabella was discussing team operations with Samantha when her phone suddenly vibrated repeatedly on the side.
She picked it up and glanced at the screen. The caller ID showed a Seaside City's number, but no saved contact name.
Isabella dismissed it as spam and ignored it.
The caller was persistent. When Isabella didn't answer, they just kept calling.
By the fourth call, Isabella finally lost her patience and picked up.
"Calling people during their personal time is incredibly rude!"
Just as Isabella was about to hang up, she heard a cold female voice.
"You thought I was a telemarketer?"
Sophia's voice was etched into Isabella's bones.
Hearing Sophia's voice in the middle of a pleasant evening, Isabella instantly went on high alert.
"What do you want?"
"You know perfectly well what you've done. Get to the hospital now. Don't make me come get you myself."
Sophia hung up abruptly. Isabella turned to find several curious gazes fixed on her.
She stood and reached for her coat. "Could you watch Olivia for me? I need to go to the hospital."