Chapter 65

Yolanda sat with an air of arrogance, sipping her tea slowly as if Isabel weren't even there. “Your first day here, and you’ve already caused chaos, not to mention offending the head of the family,” she finally said, her tone dripping with disdain.

Isabel remained unfazed, knowing full well Thomas must have complained to Yolanda after the earlier incident. “So, Madam Yolanda thinks this is my fault too?” Isabel asked calmly.

“Do you actually believe you’re innocent?” Yolanda shot back, clearly irritated by Isabel’s composure.

“Absolutely. But if this is about the orchard, let me ask, Madam Yolanda: why aren’t you supporting Blake? Why side with them instead!”

“How dare you question me?” Yolanda snapped, her voice sharp.

Isabel smirked and thought to herself, I don’t scare easily, Madam Yolanda. This is who I am. Respect me, and I’ll repay it tenfold. Disrespect me, and I’ll return it a hundredfold. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll see myself out.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left, unfazed by the crash of a teacup shattering behind her. Outside, Isabel heard the noise, smiled to herself, and continued walking.

Blake rushed over, concern etched on his face. “Are you okay? What did she want?”

“Nothing important, just the orchard incident. Honestly, it seems like your mother doesn’t like you very much,” Isabel said matter-of-factly.

Blake’s expression darkened, and he clasped her hand tightly. “You’re right. No one here has ever stood up for me, until today. Isabel, I’ll never forget what you did.”

Isabel blinked, surprised by his vulnerability. The man who once dominated boardrooms seemed so human, yearning for something as simple as support. But Yolanda clearly didn’t care. She couldn’t help but wonder how he’d survived in such a cold family.

“Well, I doubt dinner’s going to be enjoyable tonight. Let’s just leave,” Isabel suggested.

Blake didn’t hesitate, leading her straight out of the house without a glance back. In the car, he broke the silence. “How about we grab some dinner?”

“No need, just drop me home,” Isabel replied.

“That won’t work. Dinner’s important. Either I treat you, or you treat me—your choice.”

Isabel sighed. This man truly had no shame. It seemed like everything had melted away.

After dinner, Blake dropped her off at the Golden Villa. Inside, Hannali and Samuel asked about her day. Not wanting to worry them, Isabel simply said everything was fine.

The next morning, as Isabel got ready for school, she saw Uncle Martin coming in with a bouquet of lilies. Curious, she asked, “Paul Lewis, what are the flowers for?”

“Miss Isabel, they’re not mine. Young Mr. Galvez asked me to pick them up,” Paul replied.

Right on cue, Alex walked in, wearing the same suit from his blind date. “Dear sister, I asked Paul Lewis to grab these for me. I’ve got a date with Cora today!”

Isabel raised a brow. “And why lilies?”

Alex grinned sheepishly. “The guys at the construction site said they’re trendy right now. They symbolize pure love, so I thought they’d be perfect for Cora.”

Paul scratched his head, looking flustered. “Young Mr. Galvez, why didn’t you say so earlier! I thought these were for a funeral.”

Isabel sighed. “Paul Lewis, just get rid of the flowers.” Her brother had clearly been duped by some jokers at the construction site. Who on earth brings lilies to a date? “Lilies are for funerals. If you want to impress a girl, get roses. Come on, I’ll help you pick some out.”

Determined to save Alex’s love life, Isabel personally took him to the florist and handed him a bouquet of red roses. “Give these to Cora. Trust me, she’ll love them. And memorize this too,” she said, typing out a heartfelt message on her phone.

Alex looked at her, confused. “Why do I have to memorize that?”

“Because it’s sweet, and she’ll love hearing it. Just trust me.”

Alex began mumbling the lines to himself when Blake’s car pulled up beside them. “I thought you went back to work. Why are you here again!” Isabel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Blake opened the door for her with a grin. “I made time. Get in.”

She directed him to drop Alex off at the cultural park for his date. Before Alex got out, she made him repeat the plan: give Cora the roses, have a nice conversation, maybe a movie, and make sure she gets home safely. Alex nodded solemnly.

Blake chuckled. “Do you think he’ll actually pull it off?”

Isabel shrugged. “No clue. But at least now he has a chance. He’d never think of this stuff on his own.”

Blake’s expression softened. “You know, we still haven’t gone on a proper date.”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “Not this again.”

Isabel opened the car door and was about to get out. “Isabel, don’t be mad. Where are you going? I’ll take you!”

“I’m going to check on Alex.”

“Wait, I’m coming too,” Blake said, quickly following her.

The two of them watched Alex from a distance. He was holding the roses tightly as he approached Cora, who looked nervous but happy to see him.

“Cora, I’m sorry I’m late. These are for you,” Alex said, holding out the roses. No girl could say no to a big bouquet of roses.

“Thank you,” she said softly, touched by the gesture.

Summoning all his courage, Alex recited the lines Isabel had made him memorize. “Cora, I know I’m not the smartest or the best-looking guy. I like you. From the moment I saw you, I wanted to protect and care for you. Please give me a chance.”

Cora blinked in surprise, her cheeks turning pink. “Do you really mean that?”

“Yes,” Alex said with a firm nod.

After a moment, Cora smiled. “Okay, let’s give it a try.”

Alex lit up like a kid at Christmas and eagerly walked with her through the park. He even carried her bag, just as Isabel had instructed. Cora couldn’t help but find his sincerity charming.

“You’re a vice president, eavesdropping with me? Aren’t you ashamed?” Isabel shot Blake a glare. Their sneaky behavior made them look oddly like a married couple.

“If you’re not ashamed, why should I be? I’m just following my wife’s lead,” Blake teased.

Isabel rolled her eyes and walked off. Watching her brother’s date unfold so naturally, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. “Maybe, just maybe, this might actually work out.”

At the Clyde residence, Ethan Clyde, the youngest of the siblings, took the chance to share some news while the family was gathered. “Dad, Mom, I heard Isabel went to the Yates house yesterday. Word is she caused a scene, offended the second branch, and now Timothy Yates can’t…”