Chapter 69

“Vince,” Blake called, his voice icy. “Release the information. And make sure the Clyde Group is cut off everywhere. Even if it costs us money, destroy them completely.”

“Understood,” Vince replied, though he couldn’t help but wonder what the Clydes had done to provoke such wrath.

After the call, Blake sent Isabel a text on WhatsApp: “Babe, I sent the Clydes a special gift. Don’t forget to check it out! Grinning.”

Isabel was lounging at home when Blake’s text popped up. She opened it, pausing at his profile picture. When had he changed it to a slice of pizza?

She frowned and glanced at hers—a picture of a pizza with a missing slice. A pizza slice and a pizza with a missing slice? Her lips twitched. Is he seriously trying to say he’s the missing piece to my heart? Shameless. Isabel suppressed a laugh.

The next day, the “gift” made headlines. Ethan was accused of tax evasion through shady contracts, with over 300 million dodged. After penalties, the fines totaled nearly 700 million. It was a death blow. His recent viral scandal hadn’t even cooled, and now this!

“This setup,” Ethan fumed, pacing. “It has to be Isabel Galvez. No one else could have pulled this off.” The PR team had worked tirelessly, portraying him as a victim and regaining loyal fans. A comeback seemed guaranteed. But the tax evasion scandal hit like a bombshell, completely ruining him. In the entertainment industry, there’s zero tolerance for such crimes. Blacklisted, he was done for. No amount of fan loyalty could save him now. The fine was bad enough, but the ripple effects were worse. Several big-budget films and TV shows he starred in faced massive financial losses. Endorsements vanished overnight, and the public backlash was swift and brutal.

Caius came home fuming. His frustration found a target: Amelia. “All you do is cry! Ever since you came back, this family’s been cursed!”

“What does she have to do with it?” Rosy snapped, instantly defending her daughter.

“Are you seriously asking that?” Caius spat. “She’s a walking disaster! When she was with the Galvez family, they were miserable. But with us! When Isabel was here, everything went smoothly, our business grew, and even the Crania Group wanted to work with us. But ever since she came back, Crania Group cut ties. Our eldest got into trouble, the second lost an arm, the fourth died in a racing accident, and now the third is ruined in the entertainment industry! Even the Swansons are laughing at us. She’s cursed! Now go on, get out of my sight!”

“Mom… Mom,” Amelia sobbed, clinging to Rosy. “Dad doesn’t want me anymore. You won’t abandon me too, right?”

Rosy pulled her daughter close, glaring at her husband. “Have you lost your mind? She’s our daughter! This is all Isabel’s fault, not Amelia’s.”

Caius shook his head, his anger giving way to despair. “Fine. Then I’m done. The last partnership fell apart today. Even if they lose money, the Clyde Group is finished.” Tearing off his jacket and tie, he stumbled out the door like a broken man. For the first time, he fully grasped the truth: the Clyde family was beyond saving.

That evening, the Galvez family sat down for dinner.

“Isabel, have you heard?” Hannah asked suddenly.

“Heard what?”

“About the Clydes! It’s everywhere. Ethan got caught for tax evasion, and then there’s the whole mess with Amelia. How could Ethan and Amelia…” Hannah ranted on, but everyone except Alex knew exactly what she meant. The headlines were everywhere, impossible to miss. Jack and Roy treated it as a passing scandal, indifferent to Amelia’s connection to their family.

“Mom, I really don’t care about the Clydes anymore,” Isabel said flatly.

“Dinner tomorrow?”

“Exactly,” Samuel agreed. “No point bringing them up. Speaking of which, the old estate called today; they’ve invited us over for dinner.”

“Nope,” Simon said immediately. He despised Jacob’s constant bragging and refused to endure it again.

“Not interested,” Jack added.

“Me too, count me out,” Roy said.

Samuel sighed heavily.

“You want to go, don’t you?” Hannah asked, reading his expression.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but Mom’s apparently very sick. It wouldn’t feel right to ignore her. She’s still my mother.”

Hannah softened. She knew her husband’s kind heart. His loyalty and filial duty were part of why he’d been hurt so often. Even after everything, he couldn’t turn his back on his mother.

“Then I’ll go with you,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Isabel asked, concerned.

“I should. Back when it was just me, before the others were born, he treated me well. If the other two brothers hadn’t gotten in the way, we wouldn’t have been cast out.”

“Then I’m coming too,” Isabel said firmly. She wasn’t about to let her parents face the Galvers alone. Things were different now. This time, she’d make sure her parents held their heads high. The Galvezs needed a reckoning.

Chapter 69 (continued)

By early morning, everyone was ready. Hannah debated bringing a gift but remembered how her carefully grown vegetables had been mocked and discarded last time. She decided against it; better to avoid the ridicule altogether.

When their car pulled up to the old estate, Samuel got out and knocked on the door. It had been over a decade since his paralysis, over a decade since he’d left the house. Being cast out of the family had kept him away for so long. Now, standing on the threshold again, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of nostalgia and sorrow.

“Isabel,” Hannah said quietly, “your dad’s a sentimental man. He grew up here, and no matter what, this place still matters to him. That’s why I agreed to come with him today.”

“I understand,” Isabel replied, watching her father’s weathered frame. Seeing him now, older and quieter, tugged at her heart. Being abandoned by his family must have cut deeply. But here he was, back at the home where he’d grown up.

Soon, the butler opened the door. He froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Master Samuel? Is it really you?”