The Billionaire Can't Escape His Shameless Heiress Wife!-Chapter 1: Dogs Shouldn’t Spout Lies

At Grand Crystal Hotel.

8 p.m.

The several chandeliers from the high ceiling spilled dazzlingly bright lights across the marbled floor, where numerous people clustered about in groups and in duets.

The soft cacophony of classical instruments accompanied their hushed voices as they mingled with one another, seeking enjoyment and hoping for an opportunity.

After all, tonight was the 100th anniversary of the Grand Socialite Ball.

The banquet was not just limited to the top-notch elite families in the country. Some lucky businessmen and leaders of various industries would be invited. Nouveau rich families and popular faces would also be selected to attend.

It was an event that rained not just on opportunities, but also the chance of climbing up to the ranks of these filthy rich families.

And young men and women saw it as the perfect place to get acquainted with one another. Sometimes, too intimately.

Money, wealth, and power, everything had gathered in this one place.

What’s more... Isabella Harrington will be making her appearance tonight.

Being called the Harrington’s Wallflower was nothing to laugh about.

Despite having the wealthy Harrington family behind her back, Isabella remained the most undesirable and ordinary woman in society. Now, they had announced she was looking for a man to wed her.

Still, with such an announcement, no one was tempted.

But the Harrington family spared nothing to let it be known that whoever married her would get half of her assets.

Hence, no matter how unwilling they were, all families gathered their unmarried sons and made them look as presentable as they could.

Even men who were older and had been divorced and widowed once hoped to take the chance.

Some of them had even started to look for Isabella.

As the heart of the banquet, Isabella swept her gaze once over the crowd below. Holding a flute of chilled Rose Dom Perignon, Isabelle swirled it once before taking a little sip.

What they didn’t know was that Isabelle had hidden inside a room behind a thin curtain, which overlooked the entire ballroom from the balcony on the second floor.

She smiled bitterly as the countless faces passed over her eyes, pulling a silk handkerchief to dab gently on the stain on her lips before she turned to ask behind her, "Where’s Edward?"

A woman in a business suit and short bobbed hair lowered her head and replied, "Mister Miller had already entered the room. From the news I have received from a hotel waitress, Miss Vanessa had also followed him." She paused for a second before adding, "Do you want me to inform the Master and Madame?"

"Nonsense," Isabella lightly rebuked with a light snort. "Why would I waste my uncle and his wife’s time over this?"

"Then...?"

"Since my younger sister willingly wants to enter the pigpen, then as her eldest sister, I should wholeheartedly support her." Isabella blinked slowly, sweeping her gaze once toward the ballroom again. Seeing nothing worthy of her attention, she stepped away from the terrace and walked to the door.

"Lead the way, Emma."

Emma, the lady in the business suit, nodded and left with her.

***

It was getting late, and most of the guests had already arrived. The moon in the sky threw a silvery veil across the land and through many windows.

The hallways were also occupied by guests who wanted to escape from the incessant noise and relax. And some chose to slip through it to get a romantic tryst.

At this moment, a certain pair had just started being intimate. Sounds of their breathlessness went through their lips as the rustles of their movements intensified inside the silent room. Shadows belonging to a man and a woman were intertwined in the dark.

When their lips finally broke apart, the woman whispered, "We shouldn’t do this."

"Why not?" answered the man. "Haven’t we already done this before?"

The woman couldn’t deny it.

Before this, the two of them hid in some places to show their longing for each other. Not once did the woman refuse the man’s affection or advances, willingly accepting even though she knew it was taboo.

What they said about not being tempted by the forbidden was indeed true.

Or else, why would Vanessa follow the man her father had chosen for her eldest sister in a room all alone?

Yet, she didn’t feel guilty about it, even when she should’ve. Not now, not in the past. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Why did Father choose him for that bitch? Why was she so lucky?

Vanessa couldn’t stop thinking of this when her father had just announced he wanted Edward Miller for Isabella. What of her made her a match for Edward? She was nothing but an orphan!

Ever since Isabella returned after ten years and her father adopted her, all the things that were supposed to be hers had to be shared. Even Edward, whom she had always adored, had been stolen by her!

Fortunately, not everything had been lost yet. Her seduction had worked wonders.

However, in the face of her secret lover, she had to appear pitiful and blameless as much as possible.

"What if my sister learns about us? What if she sees us?" Vanessa asked with hopeful yearning in her eyes. She wished Edward would defend them, defend their love.

An expression of arrogance and pride flashed across Edward’s face, but before it could bloom to boast to his lover how there was nothing to be afraid of, his eyes enlarged as he stared ahead.

Sensing there was something wrong with him, Vanessa hastily turned around.

Her face turned pale immediately as she saw not just one. Not two. But several people were standing outside the room.

"Isn’t that the young master of the Miller family?"

"Who’s that girl? I can’t see because of the dark."

"Someone, turn the light on!"

Without further ado, someone entered the room and started to search for the switch. In just mere seconds, they found it, and as soon as the light was turned on, there was nowhere else for Vanessa and Edward to hide. Tomorrow, they would be the talk of the ton.

Edward Miller and Vanessa Harrington were caught in a scandalous tryst at the Grand Socialite Ball!

It may not affect them for life, but it was enough for them to have a stain in their lives!

The people outside of the room craned their necks and narrowed their eyes, wishing to get a better view.

Yet, before anything more could be revealed, Isabella suddenly appeared from behind the crowd.

From their eyes, an emotion that was between shock and hurt flashed across her eyes.

"Emma, get them to leave." Her voice was soft and wavered with emotion, yet the coldness that spread across her dared no one to cross her.

As soon as those words fell, no one dared to speak. Those who dared to were all pushed out of the room by the business-suit-clad Emma, who kept a stern and cold look on her face. They had instinctively felt afraid of Isabella before they reacted.

Even Edward and Vanessa wanted to get out of that room.

But a glare shot in their direction made all intentions to leave get out of their heads.

"As for you two, stay."

"Si—sister... why are you...?"

"You should cover yourself first before you speak," Isabella intercepted her.

Edward and Vanessa had never imagined being caught.

Being caught by Isabella was not part of their plan, but they could handle it. She wouldn’t be able to do anything, even if she cried injustice in front of their families. But in front of everyone else? Now, that was absolutely mortifying. How did they even end up finding them in that room?

"Please don’t misunderstand, Isabella," Edward spoke as he buttoned up his shirt. "We were just—"

"Mr. Miller, please don’t say a word." Isabella stopped him while her almond-shaped eyes drooped low. She mumbled, "Dogs should learn to stop barking lies when exposed."

Her hushed words were sharp and cold, a rarity in itself, when thinking about how the usual Isabella should crumble into a crying mess. Perhaps she might even miserably demand answers from them. Yet, Isabella wasn’t interested in acting so desperately.

Vanessa glanced at her and asked with doubt, "How did you get here?"

"I heard a commotion when I walked downstairs and found this..." Finally, a crack in Isabella’s calmness appeared. She lowered her head to cover the disgust in her almond eyes. "Why? Are you suspecting me of leading everyone to this place just so they can catch the people closest to me doing something vulgar?"

"No, but it’s just so strange that you would suddenly appear when we--"

"Enough!" Edward stopped her before she could finish. He didn’t dare stay in this place, fearing that more people would find them in this embarrassing state. "Stop worrying about her and worry about what matters the most!"

Although he didn’t get to explain anything to Isabella, Edward was not worried about that at all. He could pacify her later with a bouquet of roses and a few sweet words. He didn’t even think that she would think of calling off the arrangement between their families with her meek and gentle personality.

However, the rumors that would spread around were what concerned him the most. Before the announcement of his engagement with Isabella, the scandal about him and Vanessa getting caught should never see the light of day!

He moved after saying that, opened the door, and didn’t give Vanessa any chance to speak. She hurriedly put on her clothes and ran after him.

The two were too fast; they failed to see the gleam in Isabella’s eyes, laughing at their own foolishness.

Emma entered the room and tentatively asked, "Miss, what should we do next?"

Isabella retracted her sight, and the disgust faded, leaving only a touch of indifference. "Inform my uncle. I’d like to see how he would arrange my marriage this time."