Twisted Ties of Love

After wrapping up a meeting, Izabella returned to find Casey sitting in the corner, head down, lost in his thoughts. He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice her approaching until she was right behind him.

Izabella couldn't help but smirk. She quietly moved behind Casey, placing her hands over his eyes. In a hushed voice, she asked, "Guess who?"

Casey stiffened, but instantly relaxed when he recognized Izabella's voice. "What happens if I can't guess?" he asked, a playful lilt to his voice.

"Well, then I might just have to poke your eyes," Izabella replied, leaning into him from behind. It almost appeared as if he was carrying her on his back.

Although Izabella threatened to poke his eyes, she didn't exert any force. Casey even blinked against her palm, his eyelashes tickling her hand.

Even after all this time, Casey was still easily flustered. Any closeness would make his ears turn red, like a radar. Izabella found this more amusing than his eye trick and let go of his face to play with his soft earlobe instead.

"Your ears are so warm. What's up with that?" she asked.

Casey's voice was a bit uneasy as he muttered, "Maybe, it's just the weather. It's pretty hot."

"I can blow on them to cool you down," Izabella offered, leaning in to blow a puff of air onto his ear.

The sudden rush of wind made his whole body shudder and his ears hum. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a mischievous grin on Izabella's face. He knew she was teasing him, and suddenly, he felt hear rush from his ears, down his neck, and all the way to his heart.

Without a word, Casey turned to face Izabella, pulling her into his arms. His lips tightly pressed together as he held her close.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

Izabella was about to tease him about his flushed face when she noticed a flicker in his eyes. Something was wrong. "Casey, what's the matter?" she asked.

But Casey just held her tighter, pressing her against his chest. Izabella quieted down, considering the day's events. She guessed it had something to do with a video that had surfaced online.

"Did you handle that video situation for me?" she asked.

Casey didn't answer, only saying, "I failed to protect you."

"You've done a lot for me, Casey. I'm lucky to have you. If it wasn't for you, it would've hurt me a lot more. So don't blame yourself." Izabella said, gently freeing herself from his grip. Her cool hand cradled his face, lifting it so she could look into his eyes.

"I'm not in pain anymore. I'm in a new body, all those scars are gone. And besides, Nathaniel got what he deserved."

Casey gripped her hand, looking at her unblemished fingers. His heart ached. He held her hand to his chest, thinking about the past. "Izabella, if I did something wrong, would you forgive me?" "What kind of mistake are we talking about?" she asked.

Casey didn't dare to admit that he was the one who had crippled her brother.

Seeing his conflicted expression, Izabella grabbed his collar and narrowed her eyes. "There are two things I absolutely cannot tolerate: infidelity and domestic violence."

Casey was not the type of man who would do either of those things, Izabella knew that much.

"I wouldn't do that," Casey assured her, his voice firm.

"I believe you." Izabella let go of him, changing the subject. "I see you brought cake."

"It's your favorite flavor. I thought you might need something sweet to cheer you up."

Izabella edged off her chair to examine the cake box. The cake wasn't large, but she recognized the brand. Even a single serving from this bakery would cost a few hundred dollars. A whole cake like this would easily cost four figures.

"Do you have plans tomorrow, Izabella?"

"Tomorrow?" Izabella cut a piece of cake for Casey and thought for a moment. "Isn't tomorrow the weekend? I don't have any plans. Why, do you want to go somewhere?"

"My father is hosting a charity gala. I'd like to invite you to attend." He was inviting her, not asking her to accompany him. There was a significant difference. An invitation was a sign of respect for Izabella's status, an acknowledgement that she was someone important.

Izabella understood. Attending a charity gala hosted by the Dempsey Group, she'd be rubbing shoulders with the elite. Casey's father was seeking to affirm her status, and perhaps even show her off. "Do you want to go?" Casey asked.

Izabella took a bite of her cake and replied, "Of course, I can't turn down his kindness. I'll have my assistant help me prepare a gown for tomorrow." "You don't need to. My mother has already prepared a dress for you. I'll have my driver deliver it to your place. You can try it on when you get home." "Alright."

With no work left for the day, Izabella decided to leave early and hitched a ride back to Spring Bay with Casey.

On the way, she couldn't resist asking, "I've always wondered, how did you regain your memory so suddenly?"

Casey tightened his grip on the steering wheel before relaxing his hold. He smoothly changed the subject, "And when did you realize I was Ryker?"

"Actually, I had my suspicions about

your identity for a while, but I couldn't confirm anything. Do you remember when we went back to the Dempsey family home in March? That night, I was looking at some old family photos with my friend. There were no pictures of you, despite it being a family album. Mr. Beck also mentioned that you had a tough upbringing. It didn't make sense for someone from a wealthy family to have had such a difficult childhood. There had to be more to the story. And indeed, Mrs. Bunny eventually told me everything."

So, Izabella had known he was Ryker all along. She knew he was the one who had carried her home when they were kids.

Thinking back, there were plenty of clues that night. It made sense why Izabella's emotions had been so volatile.

Izabella always called him a silly boy, but wasn't he just as silly? He had kept such an important secret, letting his feelings cool down as he bottled everything up.

It wasn't that Izabella didn't want to talk, but she reckoned it was down to his family.

"Must be hard, huh? Seeing me every day but unable to share the truth?"

Izabella shook her head, "That no longer matters, What's essential is you're here, and you're still you.

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You've never changed. The only difference is I like you more now than I did before. And that's simply because you're you. Don't blame Mrs. Bunny and the rest for keeping this from you. She's just afraid you'd blame her for all the years you've lost, all the hardship you've

endured."

It wasn't Casey's fault that he was found too late. He wasn't deeply attached to the Dempsey family, and given his mild disposition, it seemed reasonable for Bunny to fear that he might leave because of this secret.

Casey chuckled.

As Izabella turned to him, she saw a self-mocking smile on his face. "Never thought I'd see the day I'd be jealous of myself, so much so it feels like it's rotting my teeth."

Bunny had a red mermaid dress custom-made for Izabella. The thigh-high slit accentuated her long legs, making them look even more perfect.

The backless design of the dress,

combined with Izabella's fair skin, made her look as exquisite as the finest jade under the lights. Her swan-like neck, her beautifully

rounded shoulders, her exponet

back looking like a butterfly's wings about to take flight-she was so stunning it was hard to resist

reaching out to touch her.

The charity ball hosted by the Dempseys was held at the largest hotel in Wye. Many prominent figures attended the event, including wealthy businesspeople and celebrities. Yet, among them all, Izabella was undoubtedly the one who drew the most attention.