CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40 HUMILIATION

Finally, a voice echoed gently through the hall, calling all the family heads and high-ranking members to the upper floor.

Only the men were allowed in that meeting—most of the wives, companions, and guests were expected to stay downstairs, enjoy the music, wine, and meaningless chatter until the real decisions were made behind closed doors.

Leonardo turned to Isabella before leaving, his hand resting on her lower back with just enough pressure to make her pause.

"I’ll be upstairs for the meeting," he said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Don’t run off."

His tone wasn’t harsh—just cool and matter-of-fact, but firm enough to make her blink.

She nodded, putting on her most innocent face. "I’ll just stay here."

He stared at her a second longer, clearly not trusting that wide-eyed women expression, before finally turning and walking away.

As soon as he disappeared through the ornate doors with the rest of the council heads, the buzz of conversation returned to the room but this time, lighter, more gossipy. Many of the women shifted closer to one another in little circles, casting occasional glances at the new young girl in lavender.

Isabella didn’t notice any of that.

Because her eyes were already locked on one thing:

The buffet table.

Like a magnetic pull, she made her way across the hall with quiet excitement. She had no interest in jewelry talk or judging others’ dresses. Right now, her mission was pastries.

She reached the table and stared at the beautifully arranged desserts like a child who just entered heaven. Her eyes landed on a soft golden pastry with glossy fruit on top.

She picked it up delicately and took a small bite.

The moment it hit her tongue, she froze.

Oh my goodness...

Flaky crust. Creamy filling. Sweet glaze.

She closed her eyes in bliss. "Mmm..."

I need to learn how to make this, she thought seriously. Maybe I’ll try this at home tomorrow.

She picked up another pastry, completely unaware of the whispering women watching her from afar, some with curiosity...

And some with something colder in their eyes.

Isabella was happily chewing on her second pastry, eyes sparkling as she admired the strawberry swirl like it was a piece of art.

But that peace didn’t last long.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The sharp sound of high heels drew near.

Isabella looked up, and her chewing slowed.

A beautiful woman in a bold red gown was walking straight toward her. The dress clung to her figure like it was made just for her—elegant, rich, and clearly expensive. Her black hair was styled in sleek waves, and she held a tall glass of red wine like it was part of her hand.

Her smile was graceful.

But her eyes weren’t.

They were sharp. Glinting. Cold.

"So," the woman said smoothly, swirling the wine in her glass, "you’re Leo’s new wife?"

Isabella blinked, suddenly feeling like the pastry in her hand was too heavy.

She swallowed her bite and tried to stand a little straighter, unsure how to respond. The woman’s gaze felt like a spotlight... but not the good kind.

"Uhm... yes," Isabella said softly, brushing invisible crumbs from her dress. "I mean—we’re married."

The woman smiled wider, but there was no warmth in it. She took a slow sip of wine, never taking her eyes off Isabella.

"Hm. Cute," she said, almost like she was speaking to a child. "You don’t look like his type. But maybe he’s trying something... fresh."

The way she said "fresh" made Isabella’s chest tighten..

"You enjoy, I... I may take my leave," Isabella said softly, trying to keep her voice steady.

She held onto her little plate with one hand and took a step back, trying to walk away with as much dignity as she could manage. Her heart was beating fast, and the woman’s smile was still etched in her mind.

But just as she turned—

Someone else appeared beside her, walking a little too fast, a little too close.

In a blink—

Her heel caught the edge of the woman’s gown or maybe the cold marble floor beneath her slipped she wasn’t sure.

Thud!

Her knees hit the floor first, then her hand, and the plate clattered beside her with a loud, awful sound.

Isabella froze.

Pain bloomed in her palm and her knees throbbed. Her head spun for a moment, and her vision blurred slightly. She tried to blink away the dizziness, but her ears were already catching the sound—

Laughter.

Low at first... then louder.

A wave of soft, snickering chuckles passed through the small group of women nearby. And then—

"Kind of weak women Leo likes...hahaha! How funny."

It was the red-gown woman again, her voice sharp with jealousy, sugar-coated with venom.

She didn’t bother hiding her spite because deep down, like many others in the hall, she believed Leonardo deserved someone better. Someone powerful. Someone like Alexa.

Isabella’s hands trembled as she tried to stand, her knees scraped and shaky. Her eyes stung, but she blinked away the tears, not wanting to let anyone see her cry. Still, she could feel it—every judging stare pressing down on her like stones. Some women tried to hide their smirks behind their wine glasses. Others didn’t bother.

She wobbled slightly, barely catching herself from falling again.

That’s when the laughter grew louder.

Cruel.

Mocking.

As if her pain was the entertainment for the evening.

"Don’t laugh!" she shouted, her voice small but sharp, trembling with hurt. "Why are you laughing? Does making fun of me make you superior?"

She looked around the room, her chest rising and falling as her breath hitched. Her hands gripped her gown tightly.

I always thought being kind would be rewarded, she thought bitterly. But look at them...

Her hacker friends always said it: "Kindness doesn’t mean silence. Some people only understand code or curses."

She bit her lip, trying to hold back the words.

But something snapped.

Her eyes locked with the woman in the red gown.

And without thinking, Isabella shouted—

"Bish!"

The room fell into complete silence.

Eyes widened. A fork dropped. Even the light music seemed to falter for a moment.

And holding her gown like a child escaping a monster, Isabella turned and ran.

She didn’t care where she was going—her only goal was to breathe.

She pushed open the nearest door and found herself in a quiet garden. The sky was dark now, stars dimmed by the clouds above, and a cool wind brushed across her flushed cheeks. Soft lights lit the edges of the flower beds and the stone path beneath her feet.

Her breath came in short puffs as she walked, arms hugging herself. Her chest still ached from the embarrassment and shame.

"You okay?"

The voice was gentle, deep, smooth, and kind.

Isabella turned and found herself staring at a man dressed in an elegant white suit. His dark eyes were calm, his hair neatly swept back, and his polished shoes clicked quietly as he walked toward her.

He extended his hand slowly, like he didn’t want to startle her.

"You have cream on your temple," he said, his tone warm.

She blinked and touched her face. Oh... from the fall. Her fingers brushed something sticky near her brow. She laughed softly, embarrassed. "Ah... thank you."

He smiled, reaching into his pocket and offering her a clean napkin.

She took it, grateful. "Thank you so much."

"Giovanni," he said, bowing slightly with a grin. "Just Gio is fine."

"Thank you, Gio," Isabella said sweetly. "I’m Isabella."

"Nice to meet you, Isabella," he replied. Then, without warning, he took her hand gently and brought it to his lips, kissing each of her knuckles with such graceful ease that her breath caught.

Her eyes widened.

She snatched her hand back, cheeks turning pink. "I—I should leave," she stammered, turning around and half-running away again.

Giovanni watched her go, her gown fluttering behind her, her hair bouncing with each hurried step.

"She runs like a princess," he murmured to himself, chuckling. "Leonardo has good taste."

He suddenly laughed, remembering how Isabella had muttered ’Bish’ at those plastic women.

Giovanni laughed out loud, shaking his head.

This night just became very, very interesting.

***

Isabella wandered further into the quiet garden, her heels clicking softly on the stone path as she rubbed her arms against the chill. The cool night breeze felt better than the suffocating air inside. Out here, there were no fake smiles, no sharp stares, no mocking laughter.

She looked up at the sky, the clouds drifting slowly above the garden lights.

"Being home was better..." she mumbled under her breath, pulling her arms tighter around herself. "I should’ve just stayed with Berry and Moonbeam. At least they don’t trip people."

She sighed again, gently sitting on the edge of a marble bench hidden between two tall hedges. The faint scent of gardenia wrapped around her, and for a moment, she closed her eyes and pretended this was a quiet corner of her own secret world.

Back inside the hall—

The heavy doors of the upper chamber opened.

Leonardo stepped out with the other family heads, but his cold grey eyes immediately swept across the crowd. His jaw clenched slightly. There was noise, movement, greetings...

But no trace of lavender.

No trace of her.

Where was Isabella?

His sharp gaze flicked from one corner to another, quickly narrowing as he walked down the stairs. His aura was heavy, his face unreadable.

He had left her with a simple instruction: stay where you are.

But she wasn’t there now.

And the ugly expression on his face said only one thing—

Someone was going to regret it.