章節 3: Part 3: The Deception
Isabella felt a pit of disgust forming in her stomach as Vincent leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. She had successfully lured him into the private study, her words like a siren's call, drawing him deeper into her web. The dim light cast long shadows across the room, creating an atmosphere of intimacy that neither of them truly felt.
Vincent was clearly torn, but he wasn't strong enough to resist her. He reached out, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, his touch hesitant but deliberate. Isabella's heart beat heavily in her chest, not from attraction, but from the weight of what she was about to do.
She let him kiss her. It was a brief, shallow thing, filled with nothing but the desperate need to prove something to himself. As his lips met hers, Isabella's mind was miles away, her thoughts centered on the task she had been forced to carry out. She didn't return the kiss with any passion, but she didn't pull away either. This was about capturing the moment, creating the evidence that General Lu demanded.
Her hand, steady and practiced, discreetly reached into her clutch, retrieving the small, hidden camera. As Vincent pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers for any sign of reciprocation, Isabella clicked the button. The camera's shutter was almost imperceptible, but it was enough. The image had been captured: Vincent Cheng, moments after betraying the woman he claimed to love.
Isabella broke the kiss and smiled softly, a mask of seduction still firmly in place. "Thank you, Vincent," she murmured, her voice honeyed with false sweetness.
He blinked, confused, his lust-addled mind slow to process her words. "For what?" he asked, still leaning in, his breath heavy.
"For being exactly who I thought you were," she replied, her tone sharpening just enough to let him know he had made a grave mistake.
She stepped back, pulling away from him entirely, and before Vincent could react, she turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her. The cold emptiness of the corridor outside was almost a relief, but the weight of what she had just done pressed heavily on her chest. She walked briskly, wanting nothing more than to be away from this place, from this night, from the consequences of her actions.
But her evening was far from over.
When Isabella returned to the ballroom, the party was still in full swing. The clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation did little to ease the tension knotted in her shoulders. She caught sight of General Lu standing near the grand piano, as if he had been waiting for her.
His gaze met hers, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. He didn't move as she approached, his expression inscrutable, giving nothing away. She knew he had orchestrated every step of this, and now she had fulfilled her end of the deal.
Without a word, Isabella reached into her clutch and pulled out the small camera, handing it to him with a practiced detachment. She kept her face neutral, refusing to let him see how this night had shaken her.
General Lu took the camera, his fingers brushing against hers in the brief exchange. He studied her for a moment, his dark eyes searching her face for something she couldn't quite identify.
"You've done well," he said quietly, his voice a low murmur that only she could hear.
Isabella nodded, saying nothing. She wanted this over and done with. She wanted to forget the way Vincent had looked at her, the way she had allowed herself to be used as a tool for destruction.
But Lu wasn't done with her. He leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting over her as if seeing her for the first time. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, something dangerous and possessive that made her skin crawl. He was studying her, appraising her, not just as a tool, but as a woman. He let his eyes roam down her body, taking in every curve, every detail of her carefully crafted appearance.
For a brief moment, Isabella felt exposed in a way she never had before, as if he were stripping her down to the very core of her being. But then, just as quickly as the moment came, it passed. Whatever thoughts had crossed Lu's mind, he pushed them aside.
"You'll reveal everything tomorrow," he said, his voice clipped and cold again, all traces of whatever he had been considering now gone. "At the engagement party."
Isabella's heart sank. "No," she whispered, her voice almost breaking. "You can't ask me to do that. It will destroy her."
Lu's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. "I'm not asking, Miss Zhang. I'm telling you. Tomorrow, you will expose him in front of everyone. My sister deserves to know the truth."
Before she could argue further, a soft voice interrupted them. "Is there a problem?"
Isabella turned and felt her blood run cold. Li Na, General Lu's younger sister, stood before them, her expression serene, almost eerily calm. She was dressed in a stunning silver gown, her dark hair elegantly swept back. But it was her eyes that captured Isabella's attention—eyes so much like her brother's, sharp and calculating.
"Li Na," Isabella began, forcing herself to smile, "we were just discussing—"
"The plan, I know," Li Na cut in smoothly, her voice as gentle as ever. "I see you've fulfilled your part, Miss Zhang."
Isabella's mind reeled. The casual tone, the way Li Na spoke so easily about the plot against her own fiancé, sent a wave of nausea through her. "You knew," Isabella breathed, disbelief lacing her words.
"Of course," Li Na replied, her smile soft but chilling. "Vincent's loyalty needed to be tested. And my brother and I thought you were the perfect person to do it."
Isabella stared at the siblings, the full horror of the situation sinking in. This wasn't just Lu's doing. Li Na had been in on it all along, calculating and cold, just like her brother. Together, they had orchestrated this twisted game, and she had been nothing more than a pawn.
"I…" Isabella started, but the words died in her throat. What could she say? These were people who saw no line between loyalty and manipulation, between love and control. Any protest she made would fall on deaf ears.
Li Na stepped closer, reaching out to take Isabella's hand in a gesture that was almost sisterly. "You've done us a great service, Isabella. I knew my brother's instincts were right about you."
Isabella pulled her hand back, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and revulsion. "This is wrong," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Li Na's smile widened, but her eyes remained cold. "In our world, there's no such thing as right or wrong, Miss Zhang. There's only strength and weakness. You showed strength tonight. Don't waste it."
General Lu, having remained silent during this exchange, now gestured to a nearby servant. "Have Miss Zhang driven home. She's had a long night."
Isabella wanted to protest, to scream, to do anything other than what she had done tonight. But there was no escape, no way out of this web she had walked into. She nodded numbly, turning to leave.
As she walked away, she felt the weight of the siblings' gaze on her back, two pairs of eyes that had seen through every defense she'd ever had. The air outside was cool against her flushed skin, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside her.
The sleek black car waiting for her gleamed under the streetlights. The driver, impeccably dressed, opened the door for her without a word. Isabella slid into the back seat, the door shutting with a quiet, final click.
As the car pulled away from the mansion, the reality of what she had done and what lay ahead settled over her like a shroud. She had played the game and survived—for now. But the cost of that survival was something she wasn't sure she could bear.
And the worst part? The game was far from over.
每周推薦票狀態
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榜單 
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