Twisted Ties of Love

In theory, once Casey announced Izabella as his fiancee, one would expect a shower of blessings and support.

Izabella was stunning, a brilliant actress, and even clinched a major award that crowned her as the queen of Hollywood. Though she had retired from the limelight, her accomplishments were impressive. Ultimately, it was the revelation of Casey's background that stirred the pot--a billionaire, backed by the Dempsey Group, with a trophy cabinet that dwarfed Izabella's.

Many fans turned their backs, but their spite was directed at Izabella.

They believed Izabella's retirement was a mere ploy to latch onto the Dempsey family's fortune. Why work hard when she's married into wealth? This sparked a wave of envy and resentment. People are subjective, each carrying their own scales of justice.

To Casey's fans, Izabella was nothing more than a pretty face with some acting prowess. Many enjoyed their on-screen chemistry in the past.

But now, with Izabella stepping down from the industry, she was left with nothing. Was she going to be a mere housewife? What good was beauty alone?

Society often held unrealistic expectations of women. They want a woman who can manage a home, yet scorn her for not contributing financially. If she pursued a career, she was accused of neglecting her family.

Internet users began a heated debate over this. Izabella's decision to retire from Hollywood didn't sit well with many, and their dissatisfaction soon turned into incomprehension. Why would Izabella abandon he career to marry?

Even if she married, it wouldn't prevent her from pursuing a career. Did she really plan to live off her husband's wealth?

Many didn't understand Izabella, but she didn't need their understanding. She wanted to live her life her way, not for others.

Retiring from Hollywood didn't mean abandoning her career. Izabella held another role - as chairwoman of the Maple Group, a secret yet to be exposed.

The TV series Izabella had invested in started production.

Casey was temporarily on hiatus from "Interstellar" due to health issues. Once he recovered, he would return to work.

After a month in the hospital and continuous blood tests, Casey was finally discharged when it was confirmed he was virus-free.

Casey's recovery wouldn't have been possible without Presley. If he hadn't discovered and researched the virus abroad, Casey might not have survived.

The Dempsey family decided to celebrate. With Casey's background now public knowledge, there was no need to hide. Beck decided to host a grand banquet to lift their spirits, and, if possible, formalize the young couple's engagement.

Nathaniel couldn't escape justice. His evidence of murdering Kristin Lasley was presented to the court, along with his charges of kidnapping Izabella, possession of firearms, carrying a virus, and intentional harm. The court sentence? Death penalty.

Upon hearing this news, Izabella returned to the small house that Bell had bought. She looked around at the walls, each piece of decor, every floorboard - each filled with memories of Bell. Izabella knelt by the wardrobe and opened the drawer which contained Bell's past.

It was filled with stories Bell had written after leaving Nathaniel. Bell preferred writing stories over keeping a diary. Every story contained elements of Nathaniel.

The diligent worker was him, the man who didn't understand love was him, the control freak was him, the man who threatened but never acted was him, and the liar was him.

Bell's unrequited love was vividly portrayed in these stories.

Bell, who suffered from severe depression, found it difficult to complete a book.

"Ghost Snatchers" was her final work. A quote from it reads,

"Evil spirits hurry past, harming no one, while the living walk slowly, scheming all the while."

On a rainy night, ghosts roamed.

Humans fear ghosts to some extent, but ghosts fear humans even more; humans fear the horror of ghosts, and ghosts fear the malice of humans.

Izabella gathered the manuscripts from the drawer and brought along the diagnosis of Bell's depression.

Casey accompanied her on the journey, noticing Izabella's gloomy mood.

Upon arrival at the prison, the guards checked her belongings for any hazardous items. Confirming that they were just manuscripts filled with words, they handed them back to Izabella. "If you wish to visit, you'll need to fill out some paperwork," a guard informed.

Izabella nodded. Only one person was allowed in at a time, and she had intended to go in alone. There were things she needed to say to Nathaniel privately. "I'll go in now," Izabella said.

"I'll wait for you out here," Casey replied.

"Okay." Izabella nodded and followed the guard into the visiting room.

Nathaniel was to be executed in two weeks. In all this time, only Izabella had visited him. It was both pitiful and laughable.

Izabella sat for a moment before

Nathaniel was ushered in by a

guard. He was dressed in a prison uniform, his hair buzzed short. From

where Izabella sat, she could see the stubble on his gaunt jawline.

His freshly shaven head made his face appear even more haggard, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced. His eyes were gloomy and lifeless. Upon seeing Izabella, a spark of light briefly danced in Nathaniel's eyes, but it faded as quickly as a gust of wind extinguishing a candle.

The person he had longed for never came.

Nathaniel's cuffed hands clinked with each step he took. Izabella sat upright, watching him seriously.

Nathaniel was as downtrodden as one could be, like a dog that everyone wanted to kick. "Surprised to see me?"

"No surprise there." Nathaniel perched by the window, his voice slightly raspy. "I knew you'd come."

Locked away in a sunless prison for so long, Nathaniel was unaware of the world outside.

The lethal virus had been injected into Casey. Casey should be dead, Nathaniel presumed. But there was no satisfaction in revenge, not when he himself was on the brink of death. Once he was gone, he could be with Bella. The world outside mattered little to him. He'd done his part - he'd kept Bella safe.

He watched Izabella's tranquil face, oddly void of any grief. It was as though nothing had happened. In fact, she looked better than before. A bad feeling began to bubble up in Nathaniel. Moments later, he saw a faint smile creep onto Izabella's lips. Her voice was cool and detached. "Since you're not surprised to see me, I'll tell you something that will shock you. Casey isn't dead. The virus you had injected into him has vanished." "What? How can that be?" Nathaniel jumped to his feet, only to be shoved back down by the prison guard next to him, a stern warning to remain seated.

"Calm yourself," Izabella's voice echoed. "If you don't believe me, ask your guard. He accompanied me here today. Not only is Casey alive, but we're also getting married."

Nathaniel was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. Izabella was not one to lie, and she had no reason to make up such a story just to rile him up. The look on her face told him it was true.

"Marriage." The concept had been on

his mind quite a lot during his days

in prison. Nathaniel came from a less than fortunate family. His

mother had been the.net

man whom she pined for even in death.

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Influenced by his mother, Nathaniel had always scoffed at the idea of love. He never thought he would fall for someone.

Izabella and Bella were unexpected elements in his life.

Both Nathaniel and Brett were arrogant and reckless, believing they would never regret their actions.

Regret was a sign of weakness.

The Nathaniel of five years ago would have never imagined he would become this weak, longing for someone he once discarded like an old shoe.

Someone he yearned for but could not have.

Someone whose mere thought filled him with regret.

Someone who was standing right in front of him, but he just couldn't see.

Had he known things would turn out this way, he would have treated Bella better, much better.NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Bella was easy to please. A few kind words, a little respect, and she would willingly do anything for him.

Had he treated her better back then, would he be married to Bella now?

Would there even be room for Izabella in his life?

Was revenge on Brett really that important?