CHAPTER 5

Nathan furrowed his brow in response, stating, “That’s her decision to make. If she chooses to marry Mr. Murray, and if the Murrays look down on her, she only has herself to blame.”

Winona exchanged a meaningful glance with Yvonne before continuing, “While that may be true, she’s still your daughter. If there’s talk about her outside, it inevitably reflects on us as well. That’s not good.”

Winona looked up at Nathan, who listened intently. “I’m not her biological mother, so I have no authority to discipline her,” she began. “As you can see, she rarely communicates with us these years and has her own ideas. What happened today was saddening. She humiliated you in front of everyone. It’s one thing for her to disrespect me over the years, but the way she treated you today was unacceptable. Despite my efforts, she only acknowledges Irina as her mother, thinking that we owe her.”

Tears welled up in Winona’s eyes as she sniffled. “I know what you’re thinking. A marriage of convenience with the Murray family will benefit the company greatly. However, if Isabella doesn’t stand by you, then…”

Her words trailed off, but her meaning was clear.

Yvonne’s gaze flickered as she inwardly praised her mother’s wisdom. “Exactly, Dad. We can’t squander resources. Even if Isabella married into the Winslow family, there’s no guaranteeing she’ll put in a good word for you. Your partnership with Mr. Winslow has been smooth-sailing, and that’s based on your friendship with him, not Isabella’s involvement,” Yvonne chimed in.

Nathan suddenly realized what had been bothering him. Isabella’s defiance had caught him off guard. He desired a compliant daughter, not one with her own convictions. He glanced at them, took a sip of coffee, and asked in a deep voice, “So, what do you guys suggest?”

Winona and Yvonne exchanged a glance. Winona gently proposed, “Nate, we can’t trust Isabella, but we can rely on Yvonne. She’s our biological daughter.”

Nathan’s focus shifted to Yvonne, who appeared bashful. “Mom, we’re talking about Isabella. Why bring me up?”

Winona’s expression grew stern. “Yvonne, I’m serious. You’re our daughter. You can’t just enjoy the privileges your father provides. You must share his burden, understand?” she chided.

Yvonne straightened up, raising her hand in a playful gesture. “Yes, Mom, I understand. I’ll be there for Dad whenever he needs me,” she vowed with a smile.

Nathan was reassured by her promise. Nodding, he remarked, “Winona, you’ve raised her well. Isabella, on the other hand, is truly disappointing.”

Winona smiled faintly, “My hands are tied. Anything I say as her stepmother could easily be misinterpreted as having ulterior motives.”

“Hmph! It’s because she doesn’t know what’s best for her,” Nathan snorted. Then, he frowned. “Are you suggesting that Yvonne should marry into the Murray family?”

Winona nodded, affirming, “We can trust Yvonne. She’s our sweetheart.”

“But Yvonne is only twenty,” Nathan voiced his concern. He had always cherished Yvonne and had never contemplated marrying her off at such a young age.

Knowing that he was wavering, Winona smiled reassuringly, “So what if she’s twenty? We can arrange for the marriage now and wait for Yvonne to graduate from university before holding the wedding. That doesn’t make much difference.”

Nathan cradled his forehead, contemplating her proposal.

“Dad, if it benefits our family, I’m in. Trust me; I’ll try my best to ensure our family’s prosperity,” Yvonne declared resolutely, biting her lip as if determined to sacrifice herself for the family.

Nathan eventually nodded in agreement, which put a smile on Yvonne’s face.

However, Winona intervened softly, “But, Nate, we’re not acquainted with Mr. Murray. Perhaps we’ll need Isabella to introduce us?”

Yvonne was taken aback, immediately objecting, “Why should she introduce us? As we saw today, she asked Mr. Murray to marry her on the spur of the moment. Mr. Murray agreed as soon as she mentioned it. So, why can’t we approach him directly?”

Yvonne considered herself superior to Isabella. She mused inwardly, ‘In terms of appearance and figure, I’m much better than that country bumpkin. Why should Isabella, who’s inferior to me, get to marry such a perfect man? Since Mr. Murray agreed to Isabella’s proposal, he’d agree to mine too.’

Nathan thought her words made sense and pondered for a moment. “Well, how about we pay a visit to Rayson International tomorrow?”

Outside the Ingram residence, Clayton parked the car and glanced at Isabella who was already asleep in the passenger seat.

It should’ve been her engagement party that day. She wore a white knee-length dress, her pinned-up hair already disheveled, with several strands hanging down. Her delicate face appeared particularly pale. She didn’t change much since childhood. As she jumped down from the stage, Clayton was struck by the pain and resolution reflected in her eyes.

‘It seems like she’s been struggling all these years,’ Clayton thought, tenderly tucking her hair behind her ear.

Isabella’s long lashes quivered slightly as she stirred awake at his touch, momentarily confused upon seeing Clayton.

“Are you awake?” Clayton asked gently.

Isabella blinked, and the memories of what happened flooded back. She took a deep breath, attempting to quell the overwhelming pain pulsating through her veins.

Gazing toward the Ingram residence, she was enveloped by a chilling coldness. This place had been her home, yet since the age of ten, she felt like a superfluous presence there.

Previously, Zachary’s presence had somewhat eased the void left by George and Irina. However, at present, she was all alone.

The gate of the residence was like a gaping maw, ready to devour her and the legacy of George and Irina at any moment.

“Do you need me to go in there with you?” Clayton asked softly, observing Isabella, who was staring into space.

Isabella slowly shook her head. Staring directly ahead, she spoke to Clayton in a composed but distant manner. “Mr. Murray, can we make a deal? I need to leave this place now, but they won’t allow me to rent a house independently. Our school’s in the middle of renovations, and once the new semester kicks off, students like us who are in the senior year will have to find internship positions on our own, and we can no longer live in dorms. The only option left for me is to get married. Once I get married, I can leave for good.”

Clayton tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“I propose we marry, and I’ll move into your residence. I’ll reside there and pay you rent. If I face financial constraints, I’ll provide you with a promissory note. I’ve mentioned that I’ll inherit some assets after turning twenty-five. At that point, I’ll settle all my debts to you. Then, we’ll proceed with divorce proceedings, and I’ll allocate half of the inheritance I receive to you as compensation for marrying me now,” Isabella explained.