The Billionaire Can't Escape His Shameless Heiress Wife!-Chapter 23: Tricking One’s Mind (1)

"What am I going to do about it?" Vanessa sat up straight, glaring at her. "Of course, I’m going to tell my father."

Isabella only smiled at her words even more.

It was the same words that Vanessa would say when she thought she had the upper hand. When Vanessa thought that she had the leash on Isabella.

Isabella had humored her over the years, showing a fearful look that would make Vanessa feed off her fears.

For the past years whenever Isabella did something, Vanessa would scare her off with that line. Isabella’s pleading look never ceased to satisfy her.

Her uncle had always warned her not to stay outside late or keep her location a secret from them. He would always say that it was for her safety. But she knew that it was another method to make her obedient and easier to track in case she decided to run away.

Though Isabella never showed any dubious actions, Vanessa still used this to her advantage.

Just like that day when Isabella didn’t come home. It was raining heavily that night. No one could find her, and no one had seen her leave.

The Harrington family was quick to blame Bard for his negligence. They made him responsible if Isabella ran off somewhere, vowing they would throw him out of the family’s registry. Her uncle felt extremely embarrassed and angry at Isabella.

And when Isabella finally returned, Bard was quick to slap her, bellowing at the top of his lungs how it was so wrong for her to leave unannounced. That was the first time Isabella had seen her uncle act like he was possessed by the Devil.

He threatened he would sell her off if she ever did that again. If she dared to lie, she would have nowhere to return to.

What kind of uncle would say this to his thirteen-year-old niece?

He didn’t even ask why she went out.

On the first anniversary of her parents’ death, Isabella did not receive a warm and comforting hug...

What she received was a slap to her face and a warning.

Since then, Vanessa had always reminded her of that day.

As if it would make Isabella subservient and afraid of her.

It only fueled Isabella’s hatred and disgust.

Especially when she finally learned the truth and opened her eyes to find that the family who had kindly taken her in after her parents’ death did not do so out of the goodness of their hearts, but for the huge inheritance she was about to receive.

"Oh, yeah?"

Isabella tilted her head slightly, unperturbed by the threat Vanessa handed to her.

"Like how I can just tell him I know about your affair with Edward and would love to annul the engagement with him?"

Her words were softly spoken and gentle, like a butterfly’s wings. But her words were so thunderous that they instantly matched the beat of Vanessa’s heart as it skipped once.

"You..." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"You want your father to slap me again? Hurl curses at me just like that day?"

Isabella leaned forward while Vanessa flinched backward, as if hot iron had just waved at her face.

"Tell him," Isabella challenged. "The Harrington family wouldn’t care if I annul the engagement. They would find other candidates for me. But Uncle wouldn’t like that, would he?"

Vanessa’s face twisted again. It looked like she didn’t like to be challenged by someone whom she was so used to stepping on.

"Do you think I wouldn’t tell him? My father will eventually accept our relationship. He wouldn’t care if I married Edward in your place!"

Somehow, Vanessa felt some twisted triumph after saying that. Her father would understand her. He would support his daughter’s relationship with Edward. He might even push through it since the Miller family was progressing rapidly in the business world.

What a goddamn fool. Isabella laughed.

In fact, she smirked at her—like she was a joke.

She knew exactly what Vanessa was thinking. If her uncle didn’t care about his reputation and image as a generous uncle, he might just give what his daughter wanted. But her uncle had already spread the rumor that he had selected Edward to become her husband-to-be. They may not be a lot, but their mouths were said to be loose enough to let significant people know about it.

And with the scandal spreading like fire... it won’t be long before the Miller family and her uncle will announce their engagement to fan out the flames.

Scandals weren’t rare within their circle. A lot was already public knowledge, while some stayed buried somewhere in someone’s garden. It wouldn’t even be strange if a man announced he wanted to have both a wife and two lovers under the same roof.

But the Miller family wouldn’t want their steady progress to stumble on a wooden block. Having just entered high society, anything that would bring shame to their name and make them a laughingstock, they would make sure it would never come to light.

Hence, whatever Vanessa was hoping could never be true.

Not when Isabella exists.

Isabella coldly snorted. "If you are sure, you are able to convince uncle to let you marry him. I will send my congratulatory gift in advance."

"You..." No matter how clueless she was about the real situation or her father’s plan, Vanessa could see the sarcasm in Isabella’s words. Her pretty face instantly turned red.

The urge to stand up right then and find her father to demand she get married to Edward was building so quickly inside her like a dam.

But before she could explode, hesitation bloomed inside her. Vanessa found Isabella’s confidence unnatural and concerning.

Suddenly, Vanessa thought there might be a reason for this.

Isabella’s words and actions... were this to trick her into thinking she didn’t care about her engagement with Edward?

But in truth, she wanted to have Edward for herself and proceed with the wedding!

Vanessa was confused about Isabella’s true intentions.

But remembering how Isabella kept quiet about finding out about her affair with Edward from her parents seemed to become an undisputable answer to her questions.

Vanessa believed that this was Isabella’s intention to keep the engagement from getting annulled. Perhaps even with the affair, Isabella wanted to become Mrs. Miller!

How despicably malicious!

Finally getting even more confident with the answer she found, Vanessa wanted to ruin Isabella’s plan.

She wouldn’t allow Isabella to get what she wanted.

Edward Miller, and the title of Mrs. Miller will be hers in the end!