Blackmailing His Runaway Bride by Dance-is-me (free biff chip and kipper ebooks .txt) 📕

"Bella?" Charles called again with more concern as it seemed like she was about to cry. "What happened in there?" He swore within him to deal with Manifold no matter what if he did as much as stab Isabella with vile words.

Isabella's eyes darted to the marbled floor below and said nothing.

As Charles lifted his worried eyes, he saw Richard approach them at the same time, his eyes caught Manifold's tall figure which had a gloat in its paces as he conversed with the shorter man beside him.

"Richard, what happened there?"

"He cooked up a tale and made himself look good. Now that we have contradicting statements, we can only depend so much on the witnesses we have."

"What did he say?" Charles stole a look at Isabella who was trying to hide her face into the side of his body.

Definitely, whatever that bastard said made her instantly... distant.

Richard, who stole a look at Isabella, sighed and then said, "He claimed to be a good husband to her. And he painted her to be a cheat."

Charles almost laughed. More like scoffed. "A cheat?"

Then his eyes fell on Isabella's hair. That was why she was so distant.

In the first place, Isabella hated people lying against her.

And such a thing happening in the state she presently was in was bound to throw her into a mix of emotions.

"We have to be strong henceforth. Isabella has to be," Richard said.

Charles absent-mindedly pulled the quiet Isabella closer to his chest. He was going to lend her his strength and he would make sure she gets out of the damned marriage.

"Well, hello there." Charles almost swore at the man in front of him. Manifold was quite audacious to walk up to them. "You said it and it happened. We are finally in court," he talked a bit too excitedly.

"What do you want?" Charles almost growled.

"I am here to speak with Isabella. Isabella?" he called.

Charles felt her stir and as her eyes met the smirking man in front of them, he suddenly wanted to pull her back so she would be hiding by his side again.

"Isabella, don't be a silly woman. I will make sure you don't win this. I will make sure you become mine forever."

"Is that what you came here to say? You came here to show how stupid you are?" Charles wished he could tear the man apart right there.

"Isabella..." Gabriel ignored Charles' spitting. "Just forget about this drama you have caused and come home. I am willing to forget that you have been with this man here." His sharp glare eyed Charles. "I will call it even since I have also been with other women."

"Okay, that's enough," Richard butted in, his voice almost wearing disgust.

"I want her to know..."

"Leave, Gabriel," came Isabella's voice which wore some kind of thickness.

"What?" the unwanted man asked with disbelief.

Isabella finally faced Gabriel.

"Do you think trying to paint me as a cheat and terrible person will make me weak and scared?" Her eyes narrowed. "Not a chance." She took a step forward. "Instead, your claims will make me feel so recharged."

Her voice wore a certain kind of threat and Charles smiled.

That was his woman all right.

"Every damn time I recall the lies you told today, I will be so driven to expose you and every bad thing you have made me go through. Do you think I am bluffing?" She locked gazes with him. "Just try me first."

"Ahh! Whatever." Gabriel threw his arms in the air as though protesting. "I will still make you regret this."

"I told you, Manifold," Charles's deep voice took over. "I will be the one to make you regret and I will have you rue the very day you decided to get married to Isabella."

"You are all crazy to think she will easily get to leave me. It's a pity her coke-sniffing father isn't here, he would have-"

"What did you say about my father?" Isabella was swift to ask, her frown deepening.

Gabriel gave her a short smile. "It sure is nice that I managed to keep you in the dark for so long. You should at least thank me for that."

"What did you say about my father?" Isabella repeated slowly and Charles could feel the heat she was about to bring on.

Gabriel chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "The thing is, he uh..." Charles was amused instantly. Was Gabriel nervous? "He used to uh..."

His attorney pulled him aside and whispered something into his ears. As Gabriel looked at Isabella, he said, "Isabella, your father was the worst kind, that much I can tell you. See you on the battlefield."

Soon, Gabriel walked away with swag, Charles wasting his glares on his retreating behind.

But, Charles' attention was quick to return to Isabella who he held gently. "Hey," he said.

She looked up at him and said, "He said my father was the worst kind... That means..." Her eyes darted as she seemed to be mentally sorting things out. "That means there is a lot more about my father I don't know. A lot more I should have known before letting him sell me off. Charles?"

He cupped her cheeks in response.

"Why am I so unlucky?"

"Why would you even ask such a question?"

"You can see how things have been for me for a while now. What else would you call it if not having bad luck?"

"Bella, instead of bad luck, I would rather say that you have finally realized how your life should be. You stayed with Gabriel all this while for your father and when you learnt he had died, what did you do? You saw a way out of your misery." He moved even closer, her scent hitting his nose.

"You are a very lucky woman, Isabella, because not everybody gets a chance to know the truth as you did."

"When did you become like a sage?" Isabella teased Charles who didn't know he had it in him to sound so full of wisdom.

"I guess that's what happens when I am with you."