Chapter 65: Another Stepbrother

Isabella's POV

"What do you mean I'm in the news?" I fumbled with my phone, switching from the call to my Twitter app. Sophie was still talking excitedly in my ear, but her words faded into background noise as I scrolled through the trending topics.

There it was, trending at number two: "Manhattan luxury apartment designed by unknown talent."

My finger hovered over the hashtag for a second before I tapped it, my heart suddenly pounding against my ribs. The screen filled with headlines, all about... me?

"Rising designer Isabella's masterpiece, Horizon apartment sells for astronomical price."

"Broadway star buys Horizon apartment at premium, claims he was captivated by designer Isabella's unique vision."

"Newcomer Isabella nominated for North American Interior Design Award."

I read each headline twice, convinced I must be hallucinating. This couldn't be real. I'd never even submitted my work to any design awards. Seriously, I was just a nobody who'd sold a single design to Ethan for a few thousand dollars a few months ago.

"Are you seeing this?" Sophie's voice cut through my daze.

"I... yes. I don't understand."

The designs in the photos were definitely mine – I had poured my heart into them. The same designs Ethan had expressly told me would never carry my name. Yet here he was, not only finishing the construction at lightning speed but plastering my name all over it, using some Broadway celebrity's star power to market these luxury apartments and catapulting me into social media fame.

"This is insane," I whispered, more to myself than to Sophie.

I could feel the weight of what was happening. This was the raw power of capital and influence – the same force that could make someone famous overnight could just as easily destroy them with a whisper.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call, interrupting my conversation with Sophie. Unknown number.

"I'll call you back," I told Sophie quickly before switching over. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Ms. Monroe?" A professional woman's voice came through.

"Yes, this is she." My voice sounded steadier than I felt.

"Ms. Monroe, my name is Bianca from the North American Design Awards committee. I'm delighted to inform you that your work 'Home' has been nominated for our prestigious award. The ceremony will be held on February 14th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. We hope you'll be able to attend."

A few months ago, I would have assumed this was some elaborate scam. But staring at the news articles featuring my work, I knew it was real. "Home" was my online alias, after all.

"Thank you," I managed to say. "I'll definitely be there."

I knew I wouldn't win the top prize, but attending would give me visibility. As a designer, I needed recognition, clients, attention. Plus, the ceremony would be filled with my idols – world-class interior designers I'd only dreamed of meeting.

After hanging up, I opened my calendar and checked February 14th. Valentine's Day. At least it was after the holidays.

"Grandma," I called out, my voice still shaky with disbelief. "I need to go back to New York after the holidays."

Grandma looked up from her knitting, her gentle smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. "Young women should have careers too. Don't just focus on immediate comfort and forget your bigger ambitions. Go to New York and build your career."

I nodded slowly, thinking it through. This opportunity, even if Ethan had engineered it, was still a showcase for my genuine talent. I shouldn't waste it.

"Grandma, when I make enough money, I'm going to tear down this old house and build you a beautiful new one." The thought of giving her a better life filled me with determination.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness. "My Isabella is the sweetest and most talented girl. Grandma believes in you. You'll definitely succeed."

I nodded again, promising myself I would work hard to make it happen.

After the New Year holiday, I was a year older and seven days away from the award ceremony. I said goodbye to Grandma, packed my bags, and headed back to New York earlier than planned.

Returning to the city, my first stop had to be the Black family mansion. I had nowhere else to go and no extra money to rent an apartment.

Standing at the intersection near the Black family estate, I hesitated. Should I stay at the main Black mansion where Olivia was, or at Ethan's adjacent villa? The two residences sat side by side in the exclusive neighborhood. One meant dealing with Ethan, the other with Olivia. I ultimately chose the main mansion – I felt more equipped to handle Olivia's hostility.

"Mrs. Black, Miss Isabella has returned," announced the butler after opening the door for me. He greeted me briefly before walking into the living room to inform everyone.

The living room was filled with Black family members. Nora's face lit up with joy as she stood, clearly excited. "Isabella, you're back?"

I had called Nora before to say goodbye, telling her I wouldn't return to New York. Her surprise and delight were genuine. Around the room, I could see mixed reactions – some pleased, others visibly troubled by my appearance.

I walked into the living room with my backpack over my shoulder and southern specialties from Grandma in my hands. The room was packed with people, making me a little nervous, but seeing Nora and my mother's excited smiles helped calm me slightly.

I greeted each family member in turn:

"Grandma, it's nice to see you."

"Mom, Jasper, it's been a while..."

"Owen, Juniper, hello."

"Olivia, hi."

The moment I entered, I felt Ethan's eyes fix on me, intense and burning with a hint of surprise. He clearly hadn't expected to see me again. But I deliberately avoided looking at him, not even offering a polite greeting.

Nora happily took my hand and pointed to a man sitting beside Ethan. "This is your other stepbrother, Julian Black."

Julian had handsome, distinguished features and a warm, refined demeanor. His smile was as bright as sunshine. He stood and extended his hand politely. "Isabella, it's wonderful to finally meet you!"

"Julian, hello," I replied, shaking his hand with proper respect.

"Hello." His large hand was warm, holding mine briefly in a gentlemanly gesture before releasing it.

"While I was in Europe, I kept hearing Grandma talk about my beautiful, sweet, and lovely sister. I was so curious. Now that we've met, I'm definitely not disappointed." Julian's voice was as warm as summer sunshine, radiating enthusiasm.

None of the Black siblings had ever been genuinely kind to me. Even with this charming stepbrother, I wasn't naive enough to trust surface-level politeness. I remained internally cautious.

"When I returned, I brought gifts for everyone, including one for Isabella." Julian hurried toward the stairs. "Wait here, I'll go get it."

Nora and my mother laughed at Julian's eagerness. Nora pulled me to sit beside her, gesturing for the butler to take my backpack to my room.

Shortly after, Julian came downstairs with an elegantly wrapped gift box and presented it to me with both hands. "Isabella, I hope you'll like this."

I stood up and accepted it with both hands, saying softly, "Thank you, Julian."

Julian gazed at me, looking genuinely pleased by my demeanor.

I sat back down with the gift in my lap, looking down at the beautiful packaging and couldn't help running my fingers lightly over it.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Olivia's face contorting with anger as she watched her brother Julian's friendly gesture toward me.