Chapter 9 Nightmare
“What’s wrong?” Logan asked, noticing her sudden turn, and followed her gaze curiously.
“Nothing,” Isla replied, her tone still neutral.
*****
When Aurora returned to the ward, Ronan was no longer there.
A nearby nurse smiled at her. “Dr. Beaumont, are you here to see your boyfriend again?”
Aurora’s cheeks flushed faintly, and she whispered, “Don’t say it like that. We’re not in that kind of relationship yet. Where’s Mr. Ellsworth?”
The nurse covered her mouth, chuckling softly. “Oh, don’t be shy. Everyone knows. I heard you saved Mr. Ellsworth. He was sent for imaging. By the way, when I was tidying up, I found this box on the bed. It looks like a gift from him to you, so I’m giving it to you for safekeeping.”
Aurora froze for a moment, took the box, and opened it. Her pupils suddenly contracted.
“Huh? Isn’t this the four–leaf clover necklace? I heard it belonged to the person who saved Mr. Ellsworth. I was assisting during the surgery; he held it so tightly, even when he fainted. I couldn’t get it off. It must be yours, Miss,” another nurse explained in astonishment.
The story had become quite the sensation. Everyone envied any girl who could encounter such a handsome and capable man.
But later, everyone learned it was Aurora who had saved him.
Naturally, the necklace rightfully belonged to her.
Aurora’s hands trembled slightly, yet her voice remained calm. “Yes, it’s mine. I thought I’d lost it, so seeing it here is a surprise.”
Her knuckles whitened as she held the box.
She couldn’t be certain about the necklace. Back when Isla had just returned for her eighteenth birthday, Owen had personally crafted the four–leaf clover necklace for her, a symbol meant to bless her with a lifetime of good fortune.
At that time, Aurora had already made up her mind. She would destroy Isla, take everything from her, and turn the very symbol of luck–the four–leaf clover–into a nightmare.
Her thoughts drifted to the day of Ronan’s car accident. It had coincided exactly with the time they were supposed to pick Isla up from the airport. When she saw Ronan, he was already
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outside the car, severely injured. If no one had saved him, how could he have been outside the vehicle?
Could it have been Isla who saved him?
Aurora’s pupils constricted. She gritted her teeth, but soon, a sense of relief washed over her.
What was she worried about? Ronan had no idea that this necklace belonged to Isla.
Since it was delivered to the hospital by Aurora herself, everyone assumed she was the one who had saved him.
As long as she kept quiet, no one would ever know.
That night, Isla returned to the Beaumont residence.
She greeted Logan briefly at the entrance before walking into the estate herself.
She approached the Beaumont family villa slowly.
Without a key, she had to knock.
Two minutes later, Lucas opened the door, looking impatient.
He muttered under his breath, holding a phone in one hand, playing a game. “Who the hell is it at this hour? Have all the maids died off or what?”
He was dressed casually, hair messy, his whole demeanor exuding the spoiled aura of a wealthy heir.
Upon seeing Isla, his expression froze. “Why it’s you?” he blurted out instinctively.
Isla glanced at him coldly, stepped past, and entered without a word.
She scanned the empty living room before demanding in a cold voice, “Where are Mom and Dad?”
Lucas frowned, irritated. “How should I know? What are you even doing back here?”
A faint, cold smile tugged at Isla’s lips. “This is my home. What’s wrong with me coming back?”
Lucas snorted, looking at her with disgust. “Didn’t Mom and Dad already send you off to marry that crippled guy from the Ellsworth family? You are no longer one of us; this isn’t your home anymore.”
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Isla’s smile turned sharp. “No longer one of you? Funny, isn’t it? I wonder if outsiders think that too. After all, it should have been Aurora marrying over, but Mom and Dad swapped her out for me. You really know how to play your cards.”
Lucas grew impatient. “So what? Helping Aurora a bit–what’s wrong with that? Can you stop being so selfish? Aurora has felt guilty for so long because of you, and now you come back causing trouble. Don’t you think you’re annoying?”
Isla clapped mockingly, unperturbed. “Well said. Coming back, schemed to marry me off as a replacement for Aurora, I speak up, I’m causing trouble. I say one more word, I’m annoying. She almost got me killed, and I had to feel guilty for surviving. That’s what you mean, right?”
Lucas was momentarily speechless.
Isla laughed lightly. “You really are something, dear brother–or rather, you’re not my brother. You’re Aurora’s brother. And as a sister, I haven’t felt even a shred of respect from you.”
She paused, then added sharply, “Since they’re not here, pass this along. If you don’t want the story of Aurora scheming to replace her sister to spread tomorrow, prepare ten million tonight and send it over. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.
“I heard she has got her eye on an even richer family. Wonder if he’ll still want to marry her once they find out what she’s done–who wants an abandoned girl, right?”
She smirked at Lucas, who went through a whirlwind of expressions, before turning and leaving the Beaumont residence.
After she left, Lucas’s realization dawned on him.
A chill ran down his spine.
This was Isla? What had happened to her? She had never been like this before.
She used to only cry, never speak back. Now he couldn’t even find the words.
Lucas ground his teeth.
Damn Isla.
After leaving the Beaumont residence, Isla prepared to return to Rowan’s apartment.
At that moment, Logan called, insisting on coming to see her.
When Logan arrived at the dim, mediocre apartment complex following Isla’s directions, his expression soured. “Isla, why are you living in a place like this?”
*****
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She had a villa of her own; even if she moved out, she could have chosen a high–end apartment. Why settle here?
But, not being familiar with her situation yet, he didn’t dare ask further. “Isla, if money is tight, I can help. My family has some developed apartments. If you want, I can offer you a discount.”
Isla offered a faint smile. “No need. I really like this place.”
Logan let out a sigh, didn’t press further, chatted for a few more sentences, and then left.
Isla went upstairs and opened the door to her apartment. It was empty–Rowan hadn’t returned
yet.
That didn’t strike her as strange. Instead, she felt a bit hungry. She went into the kitchen and was surprised to see the fridge stocked with quite a few ingredients.
The kitchen bore obvious signs of someone cooking. Did he usually cook for himself?
Isla’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. She rubbed her stomach, hesitated for a moment, then took out two eggs from the fridge.
When Ronan returned, a strong smell of smoke hit him immediately.
He swung the door open and stepped inside. Black smoke swirled through the apartment, making it hard to open his eyes.
He rushed to the kitchen and froze at the sight before him.
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