Twisted Ties of Love

"You're the ruthless, heartless one! Do you think everyone in the world is like you, Brett?"

Izabella, weathered by countless trials, had mastered the art of hiding her emotions. Her face, now, was merely a shade paler, betraying no sign of turmoil. But her dark eyes were icy as they bore into Brett, brimming with a fierce determination that was almost suffocating.

"Not the whole world, just every single member of the Windham family, just like you said. We're all like rats, crawling in the dark and dirty sewers of life," Brett retorted, his voice cold and somber. Izabella had grown up in such an environment, and thus, she failed to understand his fear. In the Windham family, people would stop at nothing to gain power and status, using even the vilest means imaginable.

As the saying goes, "a leopard can't change its spots," and such is true for the Windhams. Their reputation over the years has been built on ruthlessness.

Izabella often called him heartless, a demon devoid of emotions. But growing up in such an environment, any hint of emotion would only serve as a fatal weakness.

Who wouldn't want to grow up surrounded by warmth and affection? But his parents had been murdered by his own uncle. Patrick Windham, his heart knew the truth, but without any evidence, he chose to stand aside, coldly watching the events unfold.

Brett had survived in such an environment, living in the darkness without his parents' protection. He stumbled along, doing whatever it took to survive, to get what he wanted.

The Windham family had maintained their status over the years by stepping over bodies, the blood of their victims staining their path to power.

His Aunt Casey, her mother, was also brought up under such teachings. Growing up in such an environment, how could Brett ever trust a Windham?

If a person is born in darkness and never sees the light, they'll come to believe the whole world is dark.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer, with not much time left. He loved Izabella, whether it was due to possessiveness or a need for control, he didn't care. If he didn't love her so much, why would he hold onto something that was clearly impossible?

After his death, there would be no one else for Izabella in this world. She could meet people even more troublesome than him. If the Dempsey family gave up on Izabella this time, and Casey couldn't fully protect her, he would never give these people a chance to get close to Izabella again.

The most difficult test in life is human nature. If Izabella didn't want to do it, he would take the gamble and show her the reality.

If Izabella won the bet, and the Dempsey family, or Casey, stayed by her side, not using her, not abandoning her, loving and cherishing her, he would die content, even if Izabella never understood him and hated him.

Izabella stepped forward, stopping three seconds in front of him before suddenly slapping him in the face. "Smack!" The force was mutual. Whether Brett felt the pain, Izabella didn't know, but her palm was tingling.

"Brett, you really are a leopard that can't change its spots."

In Brett's calm heart, it felt as if a sharp stone had fallen, causing a dull ache.

"Ms. Salotti." Liam began, but Brett waved him off.

Izabella always felt Brett hadn't changed. He was still as obsessed and crazy as before.

But if it were the old him, he wouldn't waste so much time. He would have directly ordered someone to take Izabella back. Why would her emotions matter to him?

But now, even the slightest change in Izabella's expression would tug at his heart.

"Izabella, I'll be waiting for you to come find me. One day, you'll understand why I did what I did."

Sure, Izabella was successful, but her 80 billion-dollar company couldn't save the Dempsey family, especially with Brett's constant pressure.

As the ambulance arrived, Izabella unexpectedly met Brett's cold gaze, as distant as ever.

In the end, Izabella ran to Casey, while Brett stood quietly, as if everything around him didn't concern him. He watched her fiery figure disappear into the distance. Finally, Liam spoke, "President Windham, let's go."

Brett turned and walked away, the cool night breeze causing him to shiver. He looked up at the night sky.

Liam sighed softly.

Brett heard and asked, "Why are you sighing?"

Liam answered, "President Windham, why waste your time on this? Ms. Salotti will never abandon the Dempsey family."

"She won't abandon the Dempsey family, but the Dempsey family might," Brett said.

"But." Liam hesitated, finally voicing his concerns. Whether you win or lose this bet, it's not a good outcome for you. Ms. Salotti will resent you for this, President Windham, are you okay with that? Didn't you say you only wanted Ms. Salotti's

forgiveness in this lifetime?"

"I'm not okay with it." Brett's voice was hoarse, his eyes stinging. He took a deep breath.

"I'm going to die, I just want to do as much as I can for Izabella in the short time I have left. She always says I'm her disaster, so I hope that after I'm gone, she can lead a smooth life."

After he dies, it doesn't matter who Izabella ends up with. His feelings of resentment won't change anything, and he certainly can't come back as a vengeful ghost, can he?

The will was ready for his signature. Upon his demise, every bit of his fortune would belong to Izabella, marking the end of the Windham lineage.

"I wish she could marry me again," Brett muttered half-jokingly, a bitter chuckle escaping him.

Beck was whisked away in an ambulance to the hospital, Izabella trailing behind Casey, getting in touch with Bunny and Wendy.

Beck's sudden collapse was attributed to his recent all-nighters at work, pent-up stress, and emotional turmoil.

Beck's assistant revealed that the Dempsey Group was sailing through rough waters lately. In fact, the charity gala was organized to scout for potential partners while disguising the real crisis at hand. Unfortunately, the veil was lifted, and now the Dempsey Group's troubles were trending all over the town.

Their previous partners backed out one after another, unwilling to cross paths with the puppet master behind the scenes.

The current state of the Dempsey Group mirrored the downfall of the Salotti Group - a result of relentless pressure and mounting difficulties.

Izabella frowned, trying to make sense of the intricate web of relationships and implications.

Beck's condition wasn't critical; he merely needed some rest.

Casey was wracked with guilt for not noticing the turmoil at home. It wasn't just Casey, Wendy was in the dark too.

Beck never brought work home for two reasons - they wouldn't understand, and he didn't want to worry them.

Bunny had some idea about the situation but never anticipated it escalating to such an extent.

Upon learning about Beck's hospitalization, the major shareholders expressed their concerns, followed by an immediate shareholders meeting.

Begrudgingly, Casey had to step up to the plate. With his father in the hospital, Wendy too young, and his mother occupied at the hospital, the responsibility fell on his shoulders.

The Dempsey Group was in a fix,Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

and Brett was adding fuel to the fire. Bankruptcy seemed inevitable, and Brett's shady tactics hinted at more than just a loss of family business - they were looking at possible debt and imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Izabella was trying to extend a helping hand to the Dempsey Group. However, the differences in their business models

made collaboration imposs, models

Even if they could provide financial aid, saving the Dempsey Group from bankruptcy would take more than a few billion.

Brett had laid a trap, ready to short the Dempsey Group. If Izabella intervened, her company would be dragged down too.

Why had Brett suddenly turned against the Dempsey family?

Soon, the rumor mills started churning. The root cause was a woman - Casey's fiancée.

For the sake of a woman, the two related families were ready to wage war against each other.

Brett had been receiving treatment at home recently, giving orders to his subordinates. The Windham Group was also experiencing losses, causing discontent among many, but they could do little about Brett.