The nanny’s daughter had sold my yacht, worth 800 million, claiming I was constantly having abortions and that the money should be donated to a temple to accumulate merit on my behalf.
My brother testified for her, publicly piling insult upon injury.
My classmates spread the story as a joke, and my fiancé, hearing this, deemed me too promiscuous and broke off our engagement.
I went straight to the police, but they colluded to declare me mentally unstable and sent me to a psychiatric hospital.
Under my family’s orders, I suffered unimaginable torment and died prematurely.
And now, opening my eyes again, I was back on the day my yacht disappeared.
Shocked, I stared as Marina, the nanny’s daughter, stood stubbornly with her arms outstretched, blocking my path.
Seeing the uncontrollable hatred etched on my face, she flinched slightly, then spoke pitifully:
“Why do you have to show off your yacht? Couldn’t you just take your classmates to a fancy hotel instead?”
“Look at her, Leonardo. Fresh out of graduation and already so extravagant. Won’t she squander the family fortune someday?”
Leonardo, my brother, saw my expression and immediately shielded Marina behind him:
“That’s enough. Your yacht has already been sold, Marina.
Go take your classmates home.”
He bent down to tuck the stray strands of hair behind Marina’s ear, and they exchanged smiles, as if selling my 800-million-yuan yacht were nothing at all.
I watched them, their entitlement making my stomach churn with rage.
“The yacht was a gift from my grandmother to me. Who are you to touch what’s mine?”
Leonardo looked at me in shock, as if he couldn’t believe I would defy him:
“Isabela, don’t you know who the future head of the Leonardo family is?”
I hadn’t known in my past life, but now, after dying once, I realized—I was the true heir of the Leonardo family.
Thinking of how my previous life ended, a chill ran through me, and my voice hardened with coldness:
“Fine. The nanny’s daughter secretly sells her employer’s yacht, and my brother protects this thief.
It seems you won’t confess unless I report it to the police.”
At my words, Marina burst into tears, wailing loudly to the classmates watching eagerly behind me:
“I only did it for your own good, Isabela! You’re always so wasteful, your personal life is chaotic, and you’re constantly having abortions—you need proper prayers to redeem yourself!”
“That’s why I sold the yacht—to gather the temple offerings that would ensure the lives you terminated could be reborn in the next cycle.
”
Hearing this, my classmates hissed and murmured in disapproval.
In my previous life, I had lost my temper at Marina’s ridiculous claims and slapped her twice, furious beyond reason.
But that only angered Leonardo, who sided with Marina and scolded me for being reckless with relationships.
The story became a joke among classmates and eventually reached my fiancé, Rafael.
After that, the Rafael family broke off our engagement, and in my father Eduardo’s eyes, I had lost all value.
Soon, Marina got close to Rafael, and to completely ruin me, she and Leonardo fabricated evidence of my supposed mental instability. My entire family forcibly sent me to a psychiatric hospital.
Under their deliberate schemes, I didn’t survive long—I was tortured to death.
Meanwhile, the scheming lovers took my place: one inherited the family fortune, the other married my former fiancé.
Thinking of all this, I trembled with rage.
I immediately pulled out my phone:
“How dare the nanny’s daughter slander her employer! Marina, you’d better be as tough talking to the police as you were just now.”
“Let’s have the police investigate who really is constantly having abortions, and… where exactly did my yacht go!”
At my words, Marina’s face went pale as she looked desperately to Leonardo for help.
Leonardo immediately shielded Marina and snatched my phone from my hands:
“Isabela, don’t think threatening Marina like this will undo what you’ve done!”
“Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson in front of all your classmates!”
In my past life, I had been intimidated by his sudden sternness—but this time, I wouldn’t let anyone trample over me.
I turned to the classmates and shouted:
“The nanny’s daughter stole my yacht, and my brother protects this thief! Someone call the police!”
Hearing my words, my classmates surprisingly avoided my gaze:
“Isabela, Marina is so kind, how could she steal your yacht?”
“Marina is beautiful and generous; she would never do something like that.”
“She said she was helping you with prayers. If you’re not grateful, why are you slandering her?”
“Maybe all those abortions affected her mind…”
They whispered and laughed in ways that carried hidden meanings.
I felt my face flush with anger:
“Marina is wealthy and generous, but it’s all my family’s money she’s spending! You all…”
At that moment, Leonardo grabbed my wrist, his voice full of threat:
“That’s enough. Don’t keep making mistakes over and over.
”
“Marina grew up in our family; she’s the second young lady of the Leonardo family. By slapping her in the face, you’re slapping me, Leonardo, in the face!”
Seeing the veins bulging in his fury, I slapped him hard across the face:
“Look carefully—that’s how you get slapped.”
Then I picked up my dropped phone and dialed my mother’s number frantically.
But all I got in response was the cold tone of a powered-off phone.
Ignoring the furious Leonardo, I tried again and again, until my heart finally sank.
Everything in my previous life had happened too fast—I had never had a chance to react.
Just now, I suddenly realized something—despite this huge mess, my mother hadn’t appeared anywhere.
Something was definitely off.
I paid no mind to the classmates snickering behind me, nor to the 800-million-yuan yacht.
Stepping back carefully, I dialed my grandmother’s number.
Her voice was strong and full of warmth:
“My child, when will you come stay with me for a couple of days…”
I quickly cut to the chase, lowering my voice:
“Grandma, my mother is missing. I suspect it’s my father, my brother, and the nanny behind this.”
“My brother and the nanny’s daughter secretly sold the yacht you gave me, but that’s not the most important thing.
You must find my mother first!”
As I spoke, someone suddenly pressed against my back with a firm embrace.
I turned, surprised, and saw it was my fiancé Rafael.
At that moment, Leonardo had caught up with Marina. Seeing Rafael appear, Marina’s eyes welled with tears as she weakly spoke:
“Rafael, Isabela is so reckless. I donated millions to the temple so that your life together would be happy, but she blames me for spending money.
”
“She even hit Leonardo! Rafael, please help me reason with her.”
Marina looked sweet and delicate, tears streaming down her face, instantly triggering Rafael’s protective instincts.
He glared at me without asking for details and pulled me in front of Marina.
“Isabela, this is too much! How dare you bully such a fragile little girl? Apologize at once!”
“Or I’ll represent the Rafael family and break off our engagement!”
I looked at the line of people in front of me—the same people who had sent me to hell in my past life—and gritted my teeth:
“Apologize? You’re not even worthy of asking for that.”
Hearing this, Marina cried even louder. Leonardo and Rafael fumbled trying to console her.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I slipped away and quietly headed to the police station.
When I reported that a private yacht worth 800 million had been stolen and sold, the officers’ eyes widened in disbelief.
After confirming multiple times that I had no mental disorders, they finally agreed to open an official investigation.
Just as I stepped out of the police station, a call came through to the officer who had sent me off:
“Where are you hiding and crying, my dear sister?”
“It must feel strange to be suddenly crushed after ruling over everyone for so long, huh?”
I listened to Marina’s mocking voice and snorted coldly:
“Marina, what exactly are you trying to say?”
Her tone dripped with triumph:
“I mean… your fiancé is mine, your brother is mine, and everything about you is mine. With everyone protecting me, you might as well say goodbye to your yacht.”
I blinked, hung up, and looked at the officer behind me:
“Did you hear all that?”
For safety during the investigation, I went straight to my grandmother’s house in the outskirts.
The moment she saw me, her heart ached and she pulled me into her arms, tears streaming:
“My child, what hardships have you endured?”
I sniffled, leaning against her:
“I’m fine, Grandma. Have you found Mom yet?”
She gently stroked my hair, about to speak, when the villa door was suddenly kicked open.
It was my father, Eduardo, and Leonardo.
Seeing me there, Eduardo’s face twisted in anger:
“Isabela, after all the shameless things you’ve done, how dare you hide here!”
“Come back with me, apologize to Marina, and hand over your engagement to her!”
I stood tall, calm and unbowed, looking him straight in the eyes:
“Just a few words from the nanny’s daughter and you think I’m shameless?”
“If slandering someone were that easy, I’d say your whole family is far from clean.
”
“And the yacht? It was a gift from my grandmother—give it back!”
My father’s beard trembled in rage as he reached to grab me:
“Do you know what kind of child Marina is? Everything she did was for your own good!”
“You ungrateful girl, go back and stay in your room!”
At that moment, my grandmother, who had been silent until now, stepped in front of me, leaning on her cane:
“Eduardo, you’ve grown bold, yet in front of this old woman, you can’t even call me ‘Mom.
’”
Seeing her, my father finally snapped out of his fury. His face went from black to red, lips twitching slightly:
“Mom, I was just disciplining this unruly girl for you. Don’t interfere.”
Grandma sneered, her authority unquestionable even without anger:
“Eduardo, Isabela is our family’s child. You better think carefully before speaking.”
My father’s expression darkened. He pulled out his phone and sent some kind of alert.
Within moments, the villa was surrounded by people. Some held cameras, some microphones, and a white car with Marina at its center.
I hurried forward, catching Marina crying pitifully:
“…I only did it for her, but she keeps insulting me. Today, I’ll let everyone witness it—check if my sister is really as immoral as she says!”
To my shock, Leonardo stepped forward and gently wiped Marina’s tears:
“Marina, I’m sorry you’ve been wronged.
”
They exchanged a brief glance. Then Marina, standing in front of the crowd, shouted at me:
“Isabela, you claim you’ve never been reckless, but now the reporters and doctors are here. Do you dare let them check?”
I felt my brain buzzing with rage. Beside me, my grandmother trembled with fury:
“You beasts! Isabela is my granddaughter, and you dare treat her like this!”
Eduardo, however, walked into the crowd smiling:
“Sorry, Mom. Our family’s alliance with Rafael’s family is too important. We can’t risk a daughter with a chaotic personal life ruining the engagement.”
The onlookers cheered even louder:
“Look at Mr. Leonardo! That’s a real man—never letting his children go astray!”
“Isabela’s face is pale. Could she really be so reckless?”
“I’d bet she’s guilty. Look at how calm the second young lady is.”
I stood on the platform, holding my grandmother’s hand tightly, and suddenly declared:
“Fine. If Dad is so worried about the alliance, don’t just check me.”
“Let your so-called second young lady undergo the same check!”
Marina’s face instantly turned pale, and she nearly collapsed into Leonardo’s arms:
“Leonardo, look at her—how could she embarrass me like this in public?”
“I’m innocent, yet I’m being humiliated.
I don’t want to live anymore!”
She lowered her head and tried to dash into the wall. The crowd quickly stopped her.
After calming Marina, the onlookers turned hostile, glaring at me:
“Isabela, you’re just a rich girl born into a good family, and now you’re forcing someone to die in public!”
“You’re truly despicable—attacking even your own sister.
”
I swept my gaze across the crowd and sneered, raising my voice:
“You’ve got it all wrong. My mother only has me—I don’t have a sister.”
“As for Marina, she’s just the nanny’s daughter.”
At this revelation, the crowd was stunned:
“Ah? How dare the nanny’s daughter demand her employer undergo a check—has she lost her mind?”
“Didn’t you see Mr. Leonardo and the young master protecting her? It’s not insanity—they think Marina is trying to steal the spotlight.”
Marina, who had been smug moments before, now trembled violently.
She glared at me, her voice trembling with sobs:
“Isabela, I know you look down on my background and resent me for not keeping your secret…”
“But the alliance involves two families. Your personal life is chaotic, and I couldn’t watch you make mistakes repeatedly, so I had to take action. Why do you target me?”
Leonardo, pained, wanted to pull Marina into his arms. But in front of countless cameras, he forced himself to stop:
“Isabela, you’ve done wrong but still blame Marina—this is unforgivable!”
“Today, the Leonardo family will expel you from the family in front of everyone!”
Before his words could settle, the crowd was parted by a group of black-suited bodyguards.
In everyone’s astonished eyes, my mother stepped forward, her face cold:
“Leonardo, who gave you the right to speak for the family?”
In an instant, Leonardo and the others froze.
Eduardo stared in disbelief, eyes wide:
“Who… who are you? Human or ghost?”
Mom sneered, her gaze coldly scanning him:
“Disappointing. I am human.
”
“I’ve already heard everything from the perimeter. Since you wolves teamed up to target my daughter Isabela, we’ll thoroughly investigate who’s really living a chaotic life.”
Eduardo signaled Leonardo with his eyes, but Leonardo’s face turned pale as he moved closer to Mom:
“Mom, you don’t understand what happened. Let’s go home, I’ll explain everything slowly.”
Mom shrugged him off:
“Explanations can wait.
But Marina, I’m sure you’re afraid of being misunderstood, right?”
Marina, hearing this, took a step back. Leonardo whispered in her ear, and she quickly regained her composure:
“Fine. If you want to check me, then check. If I’m clean, you and your mother will hand over all your shares and leave the Leonardo family!”
Her righteous anger drew cheers from the crowd:
“Good! Ordinary people can’t let the powerful bully them!”
“Even though Marina is just the nanny’s child, she dares to resist the oppression of a wealthy family—a true heroine!”
Amidst the cheers, Marina walked toward the white car parked by the road:
“Let’s have the check now. Thank you, doctors, for your hard work.”
My mother and I exchanged a glance. I stepped in front of Marina:
“Since our great nanny’s daughter wants to prove her innocence, we obviously can’t use the medical team she brought herself.
”
“Otherwise, even if the results show nothing, everyone will suspect she bribed the doctors.”
Marina’s body trembled. She looked at me in disbelief:
“How… how dare you accuse me like that?”
I calmly scanned the crowd:
“Our Leonardo family will, of course, hire a reputable medical team for the check.”
“These are the most respected gynecologists from the Provincial Hospital. They’ll investigate thoroughly.
”
Marina turned pale and glanced anxiously at Eduardo and Leonardo.
Both father and brother were left frozen, unsure how to react.
Witnessing this, the journalists rushed to capture every moment:
“Miss Marina just said she wasn’t afraid to be checked. Why is she now scared? Is something wrong?”
“Miss Marina, are you nervous? So… does that mean she really has a chaotic personal life?”
Marina paced nervously, hands fidgeting, her eyes nearly killing me with their glare.
But in front of everyone, she could do nothing.
I watched Marina, trapped in the center of the crowd, and curved my lips in amusement:
“You just said, if you’re clean, my mother and I must hand over all our shares, right?”
“Then perhaps I can ask the same of you—if you’re not clean, then your father and brother must hand over all their shares too.”
Eduardo’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot as he shouted at me:
“You brazen girl! How dare you speak such nonsense in front of everyone? What do you mean her father and brother— we’re only standing on the side of justice!”
Watching Eduardo tremble slightly from tension, I confirmed my suspicion:
Marina’s true identity must be deeply tied to him—maybe, just maybe, she was Eduardo’s illegitimate daughter!
With this thought, my old and new grudges surged up, and I spoke coldly:
“Since you’re all so righteous, let’s begin the check now. Everyone’s tired of waiting, and it’s about time we give a proper explanation.”
Marina, tears streaking her face, glared at Leonardo, refusing to move an inch.
I smiled, enjoying the scene, and teased:
“Brother, you and Marina are so close… could it be you want to marry her as my sister-in-law?”
“But from her expression, she seems scared. Could she really be hiding something from you?”
Hearing this, Leonardo, who had been shielding Marina, suddenly stiffened.
Then he looked down at her:
“Marina, if you’re clean, go ahead with the check. When we get the results, we’ll slap Isabela right in the face!”
Just then, Marina’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Leonardo, furious at this unexpected turn, rushed forward and shoved me. But Mom’s bodyguards immediately grabbed his arms and pinned him to the ground:
“Eduardo, this is the son you raised? Look at him—assaulting my daughter in front of me?”
Mom walked past the crowd and crouched beside the unconscious Marina. Flipping her eyelids, she said:
“What a coincidence—just in time, the best doctors from several hospitals are all here.”
“Quickly, come examine Miss Marina and see what’s wrong with her.”
Hearing Mom’s words, Marina gradually regained consciousness.
She trembled as she opened her eyes and immediately fell to her knees:
“Auntie… please… don’t make things difficult for me anymore. I know I offended Isabela with my good grades… I won’t dare do it again.”
“Please, just spare me. I don’t want to compete with Isabela. I just want to live a simple, peaceful life.”
The cameras clicked frantically all around, capturing every tearful plea.
I grabbed Marina by the collar, forcing her to meet my gaze:
“If you truly don’t want to compete with me, then return my yacht.”
Marina, overwhelmed by the repeated chaos today, her face twisted in anguish, grit her teeth and replied:
“Isabela… your yacht? There’s no such thing!”
“That’s the Leonardo family’s yacht—you have no right to claim it as your own!”
Before she could finish, my grandmother’s cane swung fiercely toward her.
The cane sliced through the air, and when the crowd blinked and focused, Marina’s delicate face was already marred by a red, swollen streak.
Shocked, she touched her cheek and leapt forward angrily toward my grandmother:
“You old hag! How dare you hit me! Do you know who I am?!”
I watched her struggle with fascination.
“Who else could you be, if not the nanny’s daughter?” I said, smiling faintly.
Marina, seeing my smug expression, suddenly fell silent.
“No one… I… I just got hit and got angry for a moment…” she stammered.
“Everyone… you have to stand up for me! They’re bullying me just because I’m a weak, powerless nanny’s daughter.”
“I’ve fallen into such a terrible family… I’m afraid I’ll never have a safe life again!”
The crowd had grown even larger, eagerly craning their necks to watch the scandal unfold.
Seeing Marina crying after being hit, some of the bystanders immediately switched sides:
“These rich people are going too far, bullying a defenseless young woman right in front of us.”
“Yes, it’s lawless! If they dare to do this openly, who knows what they do in private?”
I met her gaze, returning a cold, mocking smile.
No matter how skilled she was at manipulating people, it didn’t matter. In the face of truth, her tricks were worthless.
I looked toward the doctors waiting nearby:
“Everyone, examine her injuries first. After all, she’s the apple of Leonardo’s eye.
If the scars don’t heal perfectly, both Eduardo and Leonardo will worry themselves sick.”
Hearing my sarcastic words, Marina glared furiously at me. But her vanity mattered more—she needed to fix her swollen, red face—so she did not resist.
The top traditional medicine expert stepped forward. After a careful examination, he sighed:
“Miss Marina, the swelling on your face can be treated.
But since you are already three months pregnant, avoid strong medications. I can prescribe some gentle remedies that won’t harm the baby.”
The crowd froze in shock.
Marina jumped up and slapped the doctor hard:
“You charlatan! How dare you lie! You’re paid by them, aren’t you? I just had my period last month—how could I possibly be three months pregnant?”
The respected doctor, who had saved countless lives and earned lifelong respect, stared at her coldly:
“That was not your period—it’s leftover blood from your previous abortion that wasn’t fully cleared.”
Immediately, the crowd erupted into heated discussion:
“Did the doctor get bribed? Is he deliberately helping Isabela and her family?”
“I’d believe someone else could be bribed, but Dr. Zhou? Never. No amount of money could bend him.
”
“So it seems the story about the real heiress being promiscuous is false, but the fake heiress’s repeated abortions are true. Who would have thought we’d witness such a scandal?”
“That Marina just leaned on Leonardo to look fragile—maybe the child is his!”
The crowd speculated wildly, but I knew the truth: the child could never belong to Leonardo.
From the start, I had already tested him with words.
I turned to Leonardo, and as expected, his reaction didn’t surprise me.
He rushed to Marina, holding her shoulders tightly, shaking her violently:
“Marina! What the hell is going on?”
“You promised me that you’d save your first time for me! Answer me!”
Marina didn’t answer, but my ex-fiancé Rafael’s fist did.
Rafael had just arrived and punched Leonardo squarely in the face, shouting:
“You bastard! We agreed—you take Marina, I take the Leonardo family! Why does her first time belong to you?!”
The crowd exploded with laughter at Rafael’s words:
“First time? Forget it! She’s already pregnant.”
“This is hilarious. These rich families… more entertaining than children playing house!”
Rafael glanced around at the mocking crowd, then at Marina, whose face had turned pale:
“Is this true?”
Marina shrank back a step, shaking her head furiously:
“No! Rafael, listen to me. Isabela is jealous of you and set this up using the doctor!”
“I didn’t do anything—I haven’t done anything! Don’t believe them!”
But she had just been disfigured by my grandmother’s cane. At this moment, she looked not pitiable at all—instead, she seemed downright menacing.
Rafael awkwardly turned his face away, spotting Dr. Zhou standing nearby.
Dr. Zhou smiled coldly:
“Rafael, don’t you trust my integrity?”
Years ago, Dr. Zhou had saved Rafael’s father’s life. His skills and character were beyond doubt in the Rafael family.
Rafael sighed helplessly, shaking off Marina, and bowed deeply to my grandmother:
“Grandma, Isabela and I had misunderstandings before. It was Marina who deliberately tried to cause trouble.”
“Now I see the truth. I want to continue our engagement—I want to marry Isabela.”
Thinking he was being romantic, he reached out to me.
I didn’t hesitate—I slapped him hard:
“The engagement is over. If you like Marina, I suggest you marry her quickly.”
“After all, a generous, kind girl like her is rare.”
The crowd burst into laughter again.
Rafael, humiliated like never before, flushed red with anger:
“Isabela! I gave you the chance! Marina is pregnant. How can you claim you’re so clean?”
“Don’t think I don’t know! Marina has already shown me pictures of your bed!”
I gasped sharply.
I had remained chaste with an engagement in place for eighteen years, yet I had no idea such photos existed.
Not only was I shocked, but the entire crowd fell silent in disbelief.
“Seems like there isn’t a single decent person in the Leonardo family! How can all of them be so scandalous?”
I didn’t flinch. I stared Rafael straight in the eyes:
“Stop making accusations without proof. Show me the evidence, and then we’ll see what’s true and what’s false.”
Rafael snorted and pulled out his phone.
I signaled to my bodyguards. They immediately grabbed the phone from him and placed it in front of me.
The screen was chaotic, but the woman in the photos was undeniably me.
I smiled faintly, raising the phone toward Marina:
“Fabricating evidence, spreading lies… Marina, now your offense just got worse.”
Rafael froze, dumbfounded. He looked at Marina, shrinking behind Leonardo, unable to deny the truth.
Marina finally collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably:
“It wasn’t me—it was Leonardo! I’m just a nanny’s daughter! I would never slander my employer!”
“It’s all him! He wanted Isabela dead!”
Her desperate cries silenced the crowd instantly.
Murmurs began spreading:
“Wait… Leonardo and Marina aren’t siblings? Why would he try to harm his own sister?”
“It must be about the family fortune. With all that wealth laid before you, wouldn’t you be envious?”
“So that’s it! The brother is truly ruthless!”
Leonardo nearly lost his mind. He shook Marina violently, slapping her repeatedly:
“You wretched girl! Who allowed you to slander me like this?”
“You’re jealous of Isabela, trying to take her place—and now you’re pinning it all on me!”
They fought furiously, completely oblivious to the crowd.
I took the chance to move closer to Mom, quietly asking what had happened.
Through her explanation, I finally understood: during her business trip, Mom had noticed Marina’s unusual behavior and went to investigate.
Unfortunately, Eduardo discovered her movements and stationed his people nearby.
To protect Marina’s secret, they had recklessly tried to run Mom off the road, attempting to kill her.
Mom had narrowly escaped and was rescued by Grandma’s people.
I exhaled deeply. Heaven had spared me—otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived, and even Mom might not have made it.
At that moment, the fight between Marina and Leonardo ended.
As expected, the two reconciled, their bond unshakable even in such chaos.
Marina clutched Leonardo, kneeling pitifully before Mom:
“Auntie… it was all a misunderstanding…”
Mom coldly smirked at Marina but remained silent.
Soon, police sirens filled the air.
Marina’s face turned pale with terror. She crawled to Eduardo’s feet, begging:
“Dad… save me! Didn’t you say you’d protect me no matter what?”
Eduardo shoved her off roughly, kicking her to the ground:
“Get out of the way! Who’s your father? Stop spouting nonsense.”
Mom calmly held up the reports:
“So, Eduardo… your illegitimate daughter, after all this time, still refuses to recognize you?”
Eduardo glanced at the papers and froze.
Then his posture collapsed entirely:
“You… you really knew everything,” he muttered.
Mom sneered as she slammed the reports onto Eduardo’s face:
“Eduardo, although we became a family halfway through life, I accepted your son Leonardo and gave him the same life as my daughter.”
“But you repaid kindness with betrayal—not only did you try to harm me, you almost destroyed my daughter!”
“I’ve already notified the lawyers. They will liquidate all your assets. As for your children…”
“One maliciously slandered others; the other sold our family’s 800-million-yuan yacht. I believe the law will judge their crimes clearly.”
Eduardo stood frozen, fists clenched tightly.
“It’s all your fault, woman! If you hadn’t been so domineering, we wouldn’t have ended up here!”
Mom’s cold gaze pierced him:
“Eduardo, you knew you were marrying above your status, and now you complain that I’m too strong?”
“Being a man to the point of shamelessness like you is truly disgusting.”
Eduardo stared at the handcuffs gleaming in the sunlight, finally breaking down. He grabbed Mom’s hand desperately:
“Wife, I was just blinded for a moment. It was all Marina’s fault!”
“Yes, everything was her doing. I never meant to betray you, my wife!”
Mom glanced at him coldly, then turned toward the approaching police.
“Since he has confessed, you have your work cut out for you,” she said.
Two officers immediately stepped forward and drove to Eduardo’s villa to arrest Marina’s mother, Clara.
Meanwhile, as the conspirators were taken away in handcuffs, the crowd erupted in cheers:
“Wow, I never imagined the Leonardo family’s affairs would be so twisted and scandalous!”
“Eduardo and Leonardo were so disgusting—taking advantage of others while plotting to kill them.”
“Lucky for Isabela she was clever, or she’d have been framed beyond recognition.
”
I shook my head, guiding Grandma and Mom back to the villa.
For the first time, Mom let down her tough facade, tears in her eyes:
“Isabela… I misjudged people. I let you suffer.”
I hugged her tightly, letting my tears fall:
“Mom… I missed you so much.”
Eduardo and the others had thrown stones at their own feet. They had summoned the media, only to be publicly humiliated.
Now, all three were locked in the police station, unable to see the outside world, unaware of how public opinion had branded Eduardo a modern-day villain and Marina a contemporary troublemaker.
Under the weight of public scrutiny, they were soon sentenced.
Eduardo, charged with attempted murder, received 20 years.
Marina, guilty of massive theft, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Her mother, Clara, had orchestrated the plot, but without concrete evidence, she couldn’t be punished.
No matter—debts run in the family. I had already arranged for a professional debt collection team to ensure Clara would spend the rest of her life under lawful harassment and intimidation.
Leonardo had only spread malicious rumors, so his sentence was brief. He was soon released.
But their assets had already been seized. The former young master now lived in destitution, repeatedly begging for forgiveness at our door—each time turned away by security.
Eventually, he became a petty thief, in and out of the police station, a frequent visitor.
Perhaps it was fitting—he could now accompany his father and sister behind bars.
As for me, free from the engagement, I enrolled in the university I loved, finally embracing the new life I deserved.
END
