In theory, once Casey announced Izabe as his fiancee, one would expect a shower of blessings and support.
Izabe 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 aplishments were impressive. Ultimately, it was the revtion of Casey''s background that stirred the pot--a billionaire, backed by the Dempsey Group, with a trophy cab that dwarfed Izabe''s.
Many fans turned their backs, but their spite was directed at Izabe.
They believed Izabe''s retirement was a mere ploy totch 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, Izabe was nothing more than a pretty face with some acting prowess. Many enjoyed their on-screen chemistry in the past.
But now, with Izabe 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 used of neglecting her family.
Inte users began a heated debate over this. Izabe''s decision to retire from Hollywood didn''t sit well with many, and their dissatisfaction soon turned into iprehension. Why would Izabe abandon he career to marry?
Even if she married, it wouldn''t prevent her from pursuing a career. Did she really n to live off her husband''s wealth?
Many didn''t understand Izabe, 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. Izabe held another role - as chairwoman of the Maple Group, a secret yet to be exposed.
The TV series Izabe had invested in started production.
Casey was temporarily on hiatus from "Interster" 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 Izabe, possession of firearms, carrying a virus, and intentional harm. The court sentence? Death penalty.
Upon hearing this news, Izabe 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. Izabe 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 toplete 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.
Izabe gathered the manuscripts from the drawer and brought along the diagnosis of Bell''s depression.
Casey apanied her on the journey, noticing Izabe''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 Izabe. "If you wish to visit, you''ll need to fill out some paperwork," a guard informed.
Izabe 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," Izabe said.
"I''ll wait for you out here," Casey replied.
"Okay." Izabe nodded and followed the guard into the visiting room.
Nathaniel was to be executed in two weeks. In all this time, only Izabe had visited him. It was both pitiful andughable.
Izabe 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 Izabe 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 Izabe, 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. Izabe 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''de."
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 Be. The world outside mattered little to him. He''d done his part - he''d kept Be safe.
He watched Izabe''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. Momentster, he saw a faint smile creep onto Izabe''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," Izabe''s voice echoed. "If you don''t believe me, ask your guard. He apanied me here today. Not only is Casey alive, but we''re also getting married."
Nathaniel was taken aback, but quickly regained hisposure. Izabe 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
man whom she pined for even in death.
a
Influenced by his mother, Nathaniel had always scoffed at the idea of love. He never thought he would fall for someone.
Izabe and Be 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 be 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 Be better, much better.
Be 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 Be now?Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.
Would there even be room for Izabe in his life?
Was revenge on Brett really that important?