Chapter 64

“Isabel, come down!” Blake Yates called, reaching up to catch her. But Isabel Clyde gracefully jumped from the tree, landing effortlessly on the ground.

“He tried to harass me, probably hoping to humiliate you. So, I taught them a lesson,” she said flatly.

Blake’s eyes darkened with fury. Without a word, he stormed over, grabbed Timothy Yates by the collar, and landed a solid punch. Timothy staggered, dazed and seeing stars.

“Stop it, Blake Yates! What are you doing?!” Penny shrieked. “You’ve already hit my son once, and now again! Who do you think you are?”

Blake’s voice was ice cold. “Anyone who bullies my fiancée is asking to get hit.” He raised his fist again.

“Someone stop him!” Thomas Yates arrived, and the butler quickly intervened, holding Blake back.

“Thomas, look what he’s done to Timothy! You have to stand up for us!” Penny wailed, pointing at her son’s swollen face.

“What’s going on?” Thomas demanded.

Timothy seized the opportunity. “It’s her!” he accused, pointing at Isabel. “She came onto me, and when I turned her down, she attacked me.”

Isabel’s lips curled into a sharp smile. What a shameless liar.

Blake’s voice cut through the tension. “Don’t twist the truth, Timothy! Isabel was hiding in a tree, scared out of her mind, while you and your men surrounded her. And you dare say she came onto you? Have some shame!”

He continued, “This is Isabel’s first time here, and you treat her like this? If you have a problem with me, take it up with me! Why take it out on her? She’s timid and could have been traumatized by you. If anything happens to her, I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

Timothy sputtered, his face red with frustration. “She timid?”

He could only murmur to himself, “She fought them like a wild animal.”

Blake scoffed. “Of course she is! My fiancée’s always been timid. She wouldn’t hurt an ant. If she hadn’t climbed that tree and defended herself with oranges, who knows what you people would have done.” He pulled Isabel closer, his arm protectively around her.

Isabel’s eye twitched. “You’re overdoing it,” she muttered under her breath. She realized he was an even better actor than she was.

Blake ignored her. “Don’t worry, Isabel. I’m here. No one will lay a finger on you while I’m around.” He lightly patted her back.

Isabel sighed.

Penny, trembling with anger, exclaimed, “Timid? This is the same girl who exposed my necklace as a fake in front of everyone! That’s not timid!”

Timothy jumped in, whining to Thomas, “Dad, don’t believe them! She’s the one who attacked me, she’s lying!”

“Enough!” Thomas barked. “Shut your mouths! Everyone else, leave.” The crowd dispersed.

Blake gave Isabel a meaningful glance, and she sighed, realizing she had no choice but to play along.

Isabel said softly, her voice trembling, “Mr. Yates, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Timothy said he wanted to humiliate Blake and then tried to corner me. I had no choice but to defend myself with oranges.”

“You liar!” Timothy snapped.

Thomas’s hand struck Timothy’s other cheek, leaving both sides of his face red and swollen. Timothy stood there, stunned and silent, looking very much like a battered pig.

“Thomas, what are you doing? How dare you hit my son! This is all that slut’s fault!” Penny stormed forward, furious.

Calling his fiancée a “slut”? Blake wasn’t about to let that slide. “Slut? Really? And what about you, Madam Penny? If she’s a ‘slut,’ then you’re nothing but an old hag.”

Penny’s face flushed crimson with anger.

“Enough!” Thomas’s voice cut through the chaos. “You and Timothy need to stop this. I know exactly what kind of person he is. I don’t want to see anything like this happen again!” Penny clamped her mouth shut, cowed by Thomas’s anger.

Thomas turned his sharp gaze to Blake. “And you, when did you start talking like this? Since when did you forget how to respect your elders?”

Seeing Blake being reprimanded for defending her, Isabel stepped forward. “Mr. Yates, I think you’re being unfair.”

Everyone froze. Did she just challenge the Yates family head?

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Thomas’s voice was cold and firm.

But Isabel didn’t back down. “I do. But I think Blake was right. He was defending me, his fiancée. Should he just stand by and let me be bullied? If he did, would you even respect him?”

“Defending someone doesn’t give him the right to be rude to his elders.”

“Respect is earned, not owed,” Isabel shot back. “Take Madam Penny, for instance. She gave me a fake necklace, assuming I wouldn’t notice. Then Timothy and his goons cornered me. And instead of stopping them, she insulted me. Does that deserve respect?”

Penny’s hands trembled with anger. Wasn’t Isabel acting all meek just moments ago? Now she was fearless!

“Isabel Glyde! How dare you speak to the family head this way!” Penny snapped.

Isabel gave her a calm, icy glance. “I’m just stating facts. Yes, Penny is the head of the family, but I’m not part of the Yates family yet. You have no authority over me.”

“This is outrageous!” Penny pleaded, humiliated.

“Enough, Penny!” Thomas snapped. “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough already? Take Timothy to the doctor and stop making things worse.” Thomas cast a cold glance at Blake and Isabel before walking off without another word.

“Did I just make things worse with your father?” Isabel asked Blake, still feeling the weight of Thomas’s glare.

Blake took her hand and smiled. “Not at all. You’re the first person who’s ever dared to talk back to him. Honestly, I’m impressed.”

Isabel blinked, unsure of what to say.

Just then, a servant arrived with a message. “Young Mr. Yates, Madam Yolanda would like to see Miss Isabel.”

“She’s not going,” Blake said immediately. “What could she possibly want?”

“I’ll go,” Isabel replied, calm as ever. “She is your mother, after all. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Blake hesitated but nodded. Isabel had held her own against Thomas; Yolanda wouldn’t be a challenge.

When Isabel entered Yolanda’s room, the woman was sipping tea, calm and unbothered. Unlike Penny, who was likely fretting over Timothy, Yolanda seemed perfectly at ease.

“What can I do for you, Madam Yolanda?” Isabel asked directly, wasting no time.