Twisted Ties of Love

Chapter 38

After getting out of the car, Brett took the umbrella in one hand and held Izabella's cold little hand in the other.

The solemn atmosphere in the cemetery was somewhat suffocating. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

It hadn't been long since Alan's burial, and amidst the tombstone, his grave remained the cleanest, untouched by time.

A cluster of lilies adorned the front of the gravestone, their petals withered and soaked by the rain. Izabella crouched down, painstakingly removing the wilted petals one by one. She then used her sleeve to wipe the photograph displayed on the gravestone. The photo depicted a youthful Alan in a suit, his smile radiant and his eyes brimming with vitality.

It was their wedding photo, and alongside it was the picture of Izabella's mother, taken on the same occasion. The two images harmoniously complemented each other, instantly transporting one back 28 years in time.

Alan may not have been the best father, but he was a devoted husband. Izabella's mother had passed away twenty-three years ago, and Alan had never remarried. He had even purchased the adjacent plot to her grave in advance.

Though he had feared death, it seemed that his longing to reunite with Izabella's mother had prevailed, and now, he had finally achieved his wish.

The reason why Alan hated Izabella so much might have been because her birth caused the death of the woman he loved most. He couldn't do anything about it but had to raise the "murderer of his wife" himself, watching her face grow more and more like his wife's.

Raindrops fell on Izabella's face, and she wiped them off. For a moment, she couldn't tell if it was rain or tears on her face.

She knelt in front of the two graves. In the cold weather, her knees felt like they were pierced through, but she didn't feel any pain.

She seemed like a faint, lonely soul, ready to disperse with a gust of wind, "Mom, I'm sorry I haven't come to see you for so long. I couldn't protect our home or dad..."

Izabella's voice was blown away by the wind, leaving only her choking sobs.

After her trembling voice fell, Izabella turned towards Alan's gravestone and said, "Dad, I'll remember your words."

Brett, positioned behind her, heard every word clearly. His lips tightened into a thin line, and his eyes grew inscrutable. Indeed, the day before Alan's tragic leap from the building, he had visited him in prison and shared information about Izabella.

Brett's intention had been to prompt Alan to treat Izabella better in the future, but he never anticipated that it would drive Alan to the point of taking his own life.

Lowering her head, Izabella struggled to regain her footing. She glanced up at the umbrella sheltering her from the rain and then at the man who held it for her.

A thought reverberated in her mind: The person who can shield you from the harsh elements can also bring you to the point where death seems preferable.

Brett said, "Let's go."

"Bella." Just as Izabella was about to turn around, she thought she heard someone call her name from behind. Her heart trembled, and an indescribable sense of grievance surged from within. Tears

blurred her vision, but she held back and took one last look at her parents' gravestones.

She had lost her mother at birth, and now her father had left her too.

Brett called her cheap, and she was indeed cheap, as she actually wanted to hear Alan continue to scold her.

Alan was dead, but debts still had to be paid. Izabella sold her possessions and scraped together the money.

As for the Salotti Group, it had already been acquired by Brett. Izabella sold her shares, leaving only three percent. Now she was just a titular president, and Brett could easily make her lose everything.

Izabella tried to get loans or find former partners to borrow money, but everyone looked out for themselves and stayed away from her, especially after Brett's warning.

As for the banks, they required collateral for loans. Izabella had nothing left, and no bank dared lend her money.

She could only watch helplessly as the Salotti family fell apart, even losing their ancestral home.