[Isabella]
When I got home, I had planned to go straight to my room and rest. The day had been too long, loaded with emotions that still hadn't settled in my chest. It was already dark when I crossed through the mansion door — but I didn't even make it to the first step. I saw all of them gathered in the living room.
All four of my brothers were there.
My mom approached with a conspiratorial smile and, before I could ask anything, took my arm and led me to the armchair.
"Sit down," she said. "This is important."
I smiled, confused — just as Alexander stepped forward first. He handed me a dark velvet box. Inside was a diamond necklace, finely cut, elegant, understated, and definitely expensive. I couldn't help looking up at him with surprise.
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
Then came Matteo, who gave me a white gold bracelet with a delicate engraving on the inside. Then Dante, who presented me with a limited-edition watch — discreet but clearly exclusive. And last, Thiago, proud and grinning, placed in my hands a simple ring of custom design, made especially for me.
All of them were valuable gifts. Too valuable.
"You didn't have to—" I started to say, but it was useless.
The four of them launched into a laughing argument about whose gift was the best, as if they'd been secretly competing for that absurd title the whole time. I couldn't help but laugh too. It was ridiculous. And strangely lovely.
"Thank you, truly," I said at last. "I love all of them."
At that moment, an employee entered the living room and the atmosphere shifted — almost imperceptibly. I looked up… and saw him.
Tall. Elegant. The kind of man whose presence you feel before he speaks. Dressed in black, immaculate, his bearing so natural that for a second I thought I was imagining it. Until our eyes met.
Blue.
He wasn't looking at me the way you look at just anyone. There was something different in his expression — something careful, almost reverent, as if I were a rare flower that needed to be observed with patience.
He greeted my mother with respect, then looked at me again. My brothers exchanged brief glances and, one by one, filed out of the room. Before leaving, my mom leaned toward me and whispered his name into my ear.
Lucien Salazar.
I went still.
I remembered exactly who he was.
When we were alone, he sat down beside me. He seemed… nervous. That unexpected detail quietly moved me.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low.
"Better," I said. "Much better."
He nodded and took a slow breath, as if my answer had settled something in him.
"I'm glad I can see you awake," he said. "When they told me you'd woken up, I canceled all my meetings and came as fast as I could — but I was a bit late… I'm sorry."
I smiled without thinking.
"You don't have to apologize," I said. "Even so — thank you. Really."
Lucien held my gaze a second longer than necessary, as if there were something he wanted to say that he hadn't yet found the courage for.
Isabella studied Lucien more carefully as they talked. She remembered him clearly now. His face had appeared more than once in financial and society magazines. Lucien Salazar — heir and current head of one of the most influential corporate conglomerates in the country. Young, brilliant, reserved, and dangerously effective. A surname that needed no introduction.
They spoke of simple things. Her recovery, the time she'd spent unconscious, trivial matters that didn't carry too much weight. But while he talked, Isabella was thinking of something else. Something far colder and more calculated.
If she wanted to destroy the Montoya family, she needed real resources. Power that didn't depend solely on the Valcour name. No one suspected who she really was. No one knew that Isabella Valcour and Valeria Montoya Ferrer were the same person. That advantage was too valuable to waste.
Besides, even though she now belonged to a powerful family, she didn't want to live off that alone. She needed her own merits. Something no one could question or take from her.
When she finally spoke, she did so naturally.
She asked him for a favor.
Isabella was direct. She explained that she wanted to work — that she wanted a real opportunity inside his company. Not as a Valcour daughter, not as someone placed there as a courtesy, but as a woman who wanted to build something for herself.
Lucien didn't hesitate.
He didn't even think twice.
"I'll make some calls," he said calmly. "I'll get you an interview."
Isabella looked at him, surprised.
"Just like that?"
Lucien allowed himself a faint smile.
"For you, yes."
She smiled back — genuinely this time. No pressure, no conditions, no awkward questions. Only immediate, unconditional support. Somehow, that disarmed her more than any elaborate speech could have.
They spent a few more hours together before Lucien got to his feet. Before leaving, he took Isabella's hand with care and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. The gesture was respectful, but charged with an intention that needed no words.
"Rest," he said. "We'll see each other soon."
Then he left the residence, leaving behind a different kind of silence.
Isabella watched the door close.
She didn't realize it yet, but she had just taken her first real step toward her revenge.
And Lucien Salazar… without knowing it, had just become a key piece in the game that was about to begin.
Lucien left the residence with his bodyguard. The night air was fresh and quiet — almost in contrast with the storm of thoughts he carried inside. Before getting into the car, he paused a moment and looked up. On the second floor, a light came on in one of the rooms.
Isabella's.
Lucien smiled without meaning to.
Then he got in the vehicle and closed the door calmly. The car pulled away slowly, moving down the path that led out of the estate. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. It was the bodyguard who broke the silence, catching his eye in the rearview mirror.
"Boss…" he hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to tell her anything?"
Lucien rested his elbow on the door and looked out the window, watching the lights go past.
"It's not time yet," he said.
The bodyguard frowned slightly.
"She might let you help her more if she knew."
Lucien let out a quiet smile — almost dangerous.
"I don't mind being her puppet if that's what it takes," he said. "As long as I can stay close to her."
There was no doubt in his voice. None at all.
He had waited too long already. Months of watching a motionless body, speaking to someone who couldn't respond, holding onto the silent promise that she would wake up. Too long to let go of her now.
"I'll do anything for her," he added. "Anything."
The bodyguard didn't push further. He nodded once — understanding more than he showed — and accelerated as they turned toward the city.
Lucien closed his eyes for a moment, certain of only one thing.
Isabella Valcour didn't know it yet,
but she already had him.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 86 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments