Chapter 183: The Truth Revealed
“Isabella, I believe you. You wouldn’t do such a thing,” Clark, who was watching the commotion, stepped forward to express his support for Isabella.
“Thank you for trusting me, Clark,” Isabella nodded in gratitude.
Emanuele furrowed his brow, looking at Clark, “The banquet is over, aren’t you going back to your little rose?” There was a possessiveness in Emanuele’s tone, and even a simple sentence like that seemed to convey his desire to keep Isabella to himself.
Clark sighed with a hint of helplessness. It was evident that Emanuele’s possessiveness was strong, and even a casual remark could make him want to send Clark away, fearing he might unintentionally steal Isabella away. Though Clark had nearly married Isabella before, that was in the past. Now, there was a new thorny rose in his life, and he needed to exercise more patience with her.
“I’m leaving, Emanuele. Take care of Isabella,” Clark waved, turning to leave.
With the main characters of the banquet absent, the guests lingered for a while before departing. After a short while, the surveillance footage was ready. Emanuele had personally sent Phillip to the control room to ensure the authenticity of the video, as no one dared to manipulate it.
As they watched the footage, a surge of anger nearly consumed Emanuele. The desire for vengeance and murderous thoughts flowed through his veins. He had suspected that Karen was framing Isabella by deliberately accusing her of pushing, but he hadn’t expected the extent of Karen’s cruelty.
Karen had attempted to strike Isabella multiple times, failing to land a hit each time. On the third attempt, while trying to push Isabella, she accidentally fell down the steps. Despite her own fall, Karen shamelessly accused Isabella of pushing her when others rushed to the scene.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
In that moment, Emanuele’s desire to kill Karen reached its peak. He had been good to her, treating her like a sister, but little did he know she harbored other intentions.
Emanuele realized he needed to make Karen pay for her actions. While he wouldn’t hesitate to take lives for offenses against Isabella, even though Karen was no ordinary person, he would not forgive her easily.
Having made up his mind, Emanuele forwarded the surveillance video to Michael, saying, “Michael, I need an explanation from you.”
Back at the hospital, after the doctors treated Karen, Michael remained by her side throughout. When he saw that Karen was stable, he finally felt a sense of relief.
“Karen, you’re coming back to Russia with me tomorrow,” Michael declared with an icy tone, leaving no room for negotiation. He couldn’t afford any trouble with his family due to Karen’s misadventures in the United States. The whole family adored her, and he needed to bring her back home.
“I don’t want to go back,” Karen shook her head, rejecting Michael. She understood the embarrassment of the situation today, but the thought of Emanuele marrying someone so inconspicuous made her unwilling to back down.
That woman had no significant background, and she dared to provoke Karen. She swore to make that woman pay!
As Michael attempted to persuade Karen, his phone rang, and upon seeing the surveillance video sent by Emanuele, his expression instantly darkened. A hard-to-describe sense of shame spread within him.
Michael was not one to easily feel shame. He was usually ruthless and indifferent to outsiders, displaying no emotions. Yet now, he felt ashamed for what had transpired. It turned out that it wasn’t Isabella pushing his sister but rather his sister attempting to bully Isabella three times, only to be evaded each time. In the end, Isabella didn’t retaliate, but Karen, in her impatience, failed to notice the staircase behind Isabella, resulting in her fall.
If Karen’s asthma attack hadn’t happened, how would the guests perceive them with that surveillance footage? Despite this, Michael felt a deep sense of remorse for publicly embarrassing Isabella in front of so many people. If it weren’t for Emanuele shielding her, the girl would have suffered even more.
Karen, noticing her brother’s displeasure upon viewing the video, dared not speak. Though she was pretending to be ill, the pain in her leg from the fall was genuine. The doctors had treated her, but a lingering ache persisted.
Furious at the recent events, Karen harbored a strong desire to harm Isabella.
“Karen, maybe Dad and Mom have spoiled you too much. Bullying Isabella is one thing, but slandering her too!” Michael spoke slowly, his tone icy, akin to the winter chill, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Karen’s body trembled involuntarily. Although her brother was usually kind to her, his angry demeanor still frightened her. His face resembled stone, cold and unyielding, devoid of any expression. She seldom witnessed Michael losing his temper, and seeing him like this made her want to hide under the blanket, avoiding his gaze.
However, even in this state, Michael’s formidable aura continued to influence her, making it difficult for her to breathe.
“Before leaving Chicago, you must apologize to Isabella,” Michael declared, realizing he owed Isabella an apology as well for the harsh words he had spoken earlier, driven by concern for Karen.
“I won’t!” Karen immediately refused. “Clearly, she framed me. Even if she didn’t physically push me, she deliberately lured me towards the stairs!”
“Karen, if you don’t apologize, when we return to Russia, I will impose a three-month house arrest on you. You won’t be allowed to go anywhere.”
“Brother, you can’t treat me like this!” Karen’s tears fell.
“There’s no room for negotiation in this matter. Isabella is Emanuele’s wife and the Queen of the Chicago Mafia. If you harm her, it’s equivalent to going against Emanuele. If you don’t apologize, gain her forgiveness, do you think you can leave Chicago?”
Emanuele’s protection of Isabella indicated how much he valued her. He wouldn’t allow Isabella to suffer even a bit. Even if Karen claimed Isabella had pushed her, Emanuele unconditionally sided with Isabella.
This wasn’t the cold-blooded and ruthless man Michael knew. Initially, he had heard that Emanuele’s marriage to Isabella lacked emotion, but today’s events suggested otherwise.