The lawyer’s voice stayed clinical. Deadly.
“Monthly transfers to Vanessa Ortega. Rent. Medical bills. Tuition.”
Isabella’s stomach dropped. “Vanessa… your assistant?”
“And,” the lawyer finished, “the mother of his two-year-old son.”
The room froze.
Two years.
That child existed while Isabella was still married—still trying for a baby, still being told by doctors it was “stress.”
Edward’s fury became a physical pressure in the room.
“You humiliated my daughter. You stole years of her life.”
He looked at Arthur.
“Your company’s ten-million-dollar credit line expires Monday. My bank will not renew it. We’ll execute collateral.”
He looked at Martha.
“That charity foundation you use as perfume for your reputation? My auditors are already in it. The IRS will be interested.”
He looked at Camille.
“And you—time to learn the meaning of a paycheck.”
Martha shrieked, hysterical. “You can’t do this! We’re the Castellanos!”
Edward’s voice dropped, cold and final.
“You’re nothing now.”
Isabella picked up the divorce paper, ripped it clean in half, and let it fall like trash.
“I’ll see you in court,” she said quietly. “And this time, I won’t bow.”
Part 5 — The War Was Bigger Than a Marriage
In the armored car, Isabella finally let herself shake.
“I knew something was wrong,” she whispered. “But I never imagined he had a child.”
Edward’s jaw tightened. “We’ll destroy them.”
Isabella wiped her face, eyes turning sharp.
“No. Not revenge. Justice. Truth.”
With Edward’s investigators, they found Vanessa in a modest apartment—nothing like the luxury Ryan promised. Vanessa tried to shut the door, terrified.
“Please—don’t hurt me,” she cried. “He said if I talked, they’d take everything.”
“They can’t touch you anymore,” Isabella said gently. “Not if you tell me the truth.”
Over cold coffee and shaking hands, Vanessa admitted it: Ryan didn’t love her. He controlled her. He threatened to take the child if she spoke.
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