Chapter 127 Die Somewhere Else
William convinced himself that his panic had nothing to do with concern. It was because Isabella hadn't paid her debt yet. She'd taken Beatrice's life. She didn't get to die before she'd answered for that.
That was all this was.
Demolishing the house had been a warning—nothing more. A reminder not to defy him again.
As far as he was concerned, he'd done nothing wrong.
He looked at Juniper, at the gentle way she held him, and something softened in his chest.
Beatrice used to do this. When things fell apart, she'd wrap her arms around him just like this.
"Juniper. Thank you for staying with me."
Juniper's bright eyes met his, her expression warm and steady. "William, no matter what happens, I'll be here."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. If Isabella had half of Juniper's sense, he wouldn't be dealing with any of this.
In Isla's hospital room, she glanced toward the door, frowning. "Why aren't they back yet?"
Juniper had promised to come by this morning to accompany her for tests. Yesterday, she'd been here by this time. Now it had been over half an hour, and Isla was starting to worry something had gone wrong.
Benjamin tried to soothe her. "Don't worry. If you're concerned, I'll call her."
Isla had been calm since waking up, and it had lifted his spirits. Now she was urging him to make the call. Benjamin found Juniper's number and dialed.
When Juniper saw the incoming call, her first instinct was to decline it. But William was too sharp right now—any hesitation would tip him off. The second the phone rang, his eyes were on her.
"It's Godfather. I just remembered—I promised Godmother I'd go with her for her tests this morning."
William's expression was unreadable. "Answer it."
Juniper nodded, took a breath to steady herself, and picked up.
"Godfather."
"Juniper, where are you? Did something happen?"
Juniper gripped the phone, unsure how to respond. William saw her hesitation and took the phone from her hand.
"Isabella was in an explosion. She's in the ER now."
"What?" Benjamin's voice rose sharply, his whole body trembling. "I'm coming right now."
He dropped the phone and bolted for the door, moving so fast he clipped the edge of the bed frame and nearly went down.
"What happened?" Isla called after him, confused.
Benjamin turned back, his voice tight. "Isabella's been hurt. An explosion. They're trying to save her."
Isla's face registered surprise for a moment. Then her expression hardened. A smile even crept across her lips.
"Well. That's good news, isn't it? That curse is finally going to die. Even fate wants her gone."
Benjamin stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Isla, that's our daughter. How can you say something like that?"
"What did I say wrong?" Isla glared at him, completely unbothered. "She killed Beatrice. She stopped being my daughter the moment that happened."
Benjamin shook his head in disbelief. He didn't understand how Isla had become this person.
"Isla, you wanted this child once. When she was born, you loved her. I don't understand… sending her away was one thing. But why do you hate her like this?"
Isla's emotions flared. "If I'd known she'd turn into this disaster, I would've gotten rid of her while she was still in my belly. If it weren't for her, Beatrice would still be alive. My family wouldn't be destroyed."
Benjamin's eyes filled with tears. "If you could just let go of the past, we could still be a family again."
"I'll never let it go. Not unless you bring Beatrice back. Otherwise, I will never forgive her. Not in this lifetime."
Isla's tone left no room for negotiation.
Benjamin was frantic now. He didn't have time to argue. "I'm going to check on her. You stay here and rest."
Isla threw off the blankets and grabbed his sleeve.
"You're not going anywhere. She's doing this on purpose—trying to steal you away from me. You're staying in this room. You hear me?"
Benjamin was desperate. He shook her off and ran.
"Stop! I said stop!"
Isla was unhinged now, chasing after him down the hall, shouting loud enough to draw stares from everyone nearby.
Benjamin didn't look back. He ran straight for the ER.
William heard the commotion and turned. Benjamin was sprinting toward him, Isla screaming after him.
Benjamin skidded to a stop in front of William, gasping for air. "William, what happened? How is Isabella?"
Before William could answer, Juniper spoke up. "Godfather, Isabella ran into one of the hospital labs. She knocked over flammable chemicals. That's what caused the explosion."
Her explanation placed all the blame squarely on Isabella.
Isla, who'd just caught up, heard this and couldn't help herself. "I told you. She's a walking disaster. She can cause this kind of chaos in a hospital. They should've let her burn."
William glanced at her, surprised. He hadn't expected Isabella's own mother to say something like that at a time like this.
Benjamin looked stricken. Something about this didn't add up.
"She wouldn't just run into a lab for no reason. There has to be more to this."
Isla didn't even pause. "What reason could there be? She was looking for a way to kill herself. If she's going to die, she shouldn't do it in a hospital where there are innocent people around. At least it was just a lab. If she'd hurt someone else, she'd deserve to rot in hell."
William felt something twist in his chest. He'd never realized just how deep Isla's hatred ran.
And he'd punished Isabella to appease this woman. What the hell had he been thinking?
He didn't try to dodge responsibility. "I demolished her grandmother's house. She saw it on the news and tried to run. I sent my men after her. She panicked and ran into the lab. That's when the explosion happened."
Benjamin froze. He stared at William like he didn't recognize him. "You tore down the house?"
William's jaw tightened. His chest felt like it was caving in.
"Yes. Leveled it."
Benjamin's fists clenched. He swung at William, his voice shaking with fury. "Are you out of your mind? That house was where Isabella grew up. It was the only thing her grandmother left her. And you destroyed it?"
Juniper quickly stepped between them, shielding William. "Godfather, please don't blame William. He acted impulsively. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me."
Benjamin's eyes were red, his voice breaking. "That house was designed by her grandmother. Every brick, every tree, every flower—they planted them together. It was all she had left of her. How could you just tear it down?"
Tears streamed down his face as he continued. "What you did—it was the same as killing her. Of course she lost control. Of course she ran. And when she saw your men chasing her, of course she hid in that lab. This is your fault. All of it."
He'd been unhappy when Isabella insisted on marrying William, but he hadn't interfered. Now everything had spiraled completely out of control.