Chapter 248/The Awaited Family Trap

Chapter 248: 248/The Awaited Family Trap

Chapter 248

Isabella’s POV

It was glaringly obvious that I was standing in the center of a filthy, covertly orchestrated play, yet the raw details Stephanie had hurled directly into my face were far too brutal for my mind to endure.

"They’re both fucking me..."

Her words bounced off the walls of my mind like a sledgehammer, scorching every single cell in my body. Cedric... my fiancé, the man I believed I possessed and controlled, was sharing this woman with his brother without the slightest hint of remorse or hesitation. And to make matters incomparably worse, Alexander didn’t flinch an inch; instead, he stared down at me as if I were nothing more than a solitary, repulsive bug invading his grand estate.

I stood frozen in the middle of the courtyard, my blood boiling inside my veins like scalding oil. It was a public, humiliating blow unlike anything I had ever suffered in my entire life. I had wanted to expose her, I had craved to see Alexander rip her to shreds, only to find myself turned into the sole laughingstock between three cold-blooded devils.

"You will regret this, Stephanie..." I hissed, my breath escaping through clenched teeth like pure poison, while my eyes fixed on her car, parked tightly against mine near the garage entrance. "You won’t walk out of this game victorious."

I cast a swift glance around. The guards were drifting off toward the main gate, taking advantage of Alexander heading inside, leaving the shadow-draped garage swallowed in total silence. I inhaled a sharp, burning breath and began walking toward her car with deliberate, hushed steps.

Reaching into my handbag, I retrieved the small flick-knife I always kept with me, then bent low beside the front wheel of her vehicle. My heart was pounding violently—not out of fear, but out of a fierce, unyielding thirst to crush the woman who had dared to mock me.

My fingers brushed against the cold metal of the fluid hoses. I aligned the sharp blade. With one firm, merciless cut, I sliced clean through the brake lines.

The dark fluid began to leak slowly onto the pavement, mirroring the ruthless smile spreading across my lips. I casually wiped my hand on a piece of cloth, straightened up, and adjusted my coat while watching the fluid pool under the chassis.

"Let’s see how those two brothers protect you when your wheels betray you on the very next curve..." I growled under my breath before turning away with cold indifference, stepping into my own car, turning the key, and driving off as if nothing had ever happened.

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Stephanie’s POV

I stepped over the threshold into the quiet kitchen, where the dim overhead light reflected softly against the polished marble surfaces. The maid stood near the sink, meticulously scrubbing a metal pot, though her hands were trembling in a way she couldn’t possibly hide. The moment she registered my footsteps, her movement froze completely, and she spun around to face me with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

Setting the warm mug down on the counter, she closed the distance between us until her ragged breathing brushed against my ear. She whispered in a hushed, broken tone:

"Don’t drink the milk..."

My brows knitted together, my eyes widening in utter bewilderment. "What?"

Her hand abruptly clamped down on my forearm, her nervous gaze darting back toward the doorway. "If you want to know what’s really going on... do not drink it."

She quickly pulled her hand back, leaving the mug filled with warm white liquid sitting on the marble, and bolted out of the kitchen with trembling limbs before another word could be spoken.

I remained standing in the middle of the kitchen, my eyes locked on the steam rising from the mug. My thoughts collided in a chaotic freeze, the maid’s warning echoing repeatedly in my head like a alarm bell. I rushed over to the sink, picked up the mug, and poured the hot liquid entirely down the drain, filling the air with the rich scent of warm milk. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

At that exact moment, the sound of rhythmic, approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway. My chest tightened. In a split second, I raised the empty mug to my mouth, pressing its hard rim against my lips and tilting my head back as if catching the final drops.

Alexander appeared in the wooden doorframe, his eyes instantly scanning my hand and the mug before his expression relaxed into an unnerving calm.

"Did you finish your milk?"

I slowly lowered the mug, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, and forced a weary tone. "Yes... I really needed it."

He nodded, the subtle tension masking his face visibly melting away. "Very good."

I crossed my arms tightly around myself, observing him with cautious curiosity. "Didn’t you go upstairs?"

"I did, but I came back down to greet my grandfather... He’s outside."

I paused for a second, adjusting my posture. "Did he arrive that quickly?"

"Yes, he didn’t care much for the atmosphere at the farm."

I followed him out of the kitchen with slow, measured steps. As we entered the main hall, Grandfather Victor was already stepping inside, removing his heavy overcoat with the assistance of one of the guards. Yet my eyes frantically searched the space behind him in vain... there was no sign of Valentina.

The old man stood still, examining us with his deeply set eyes before speaking in a rasping voice, "Good evening... How are you both doing?"

Alexander took a step forward, offering a warm response. "We’re doing well, Grandfather. We missed you."

I stared past him at the empty threshold, unable to completely mask the suspicion in my voice. "Valentina... where is she?"

Grandfather turned toward me with a cold, blank stare. "She’s still at the farm. She didn’t want to come."

I narrowed my eyes sharply. My sister despised farms and isolated nature, and everything I knew about her intricate bond with this old man meant she would never leave his side during such trips. Her remaining there all alone cast thick, suffocating shadows of doubt across my mind.

Alexander placed a supportive hand on my back, gently guiding me toward the staircase. "Come, rest a bit before dinner is served."

I gave a dry nod. "Alright..."

The suffocating web of recent events was tightening around my neck like a noose: the maid, the milk, Valentina’s absence, and the sedative they were trying to force into my system.

We climbed the wooden stairs and walked into our locked bedroom. Alexander switched off the main light, leaving only the dim, warm glow of the bedside lamps. He turned to face me, cupping my cheeks in his hands, his voice dropping into a desperate attempt at tenderness.

"My sweet Stef... I missed you so much."

I forced a faint smile onto my lips, locking my eyes onto his. "I missed you too..."

He let out a slow sigh, his hand sliding down to my shoulder. "Even though I shared you with my brother Cedric... I hate it. I only do it for your sake."

Every nerve in my body locked up; the bones in my back went rigid the second Cedric’s name crossed his lips. I swallowed hard with great difficulty, lowering my eyelids in a carefully staged act of sheer exhaustion.

"I really need to rest... I feel incredibly sleepy."

He kept his gaze fixed on me, searching my face. "Really?"

I nodded weakly, feigning a faint sway as I moved toward the bed. "Yes... I don’t know what’s coming over me."

A subtle smile widened across his face as he stepped forward to pull back the dark duvet. "You must be exhausted... Go ahead and sleep."

I slid onto the soft mattress, pulling the blanket up to my chest. Closing my eyes, I completely relaxed my physical posture, though every single one of my senses remained hyper-alert, tuned to his every movement.

Long, agonizing minutes passed as silence swallowed the room, until his light footsteps approached my side of the bed. He leaned down slightly, his voice cutting through the quiet right beside my ear:

"Stephanie... Stephanie, are you awake?"

I held my breath in my chest, keeping my facial features entirely limp without giving the slightest response.

"Stef... can you hear me?"

The silence persisted until I felt his weight lift away from the bed. His faint footsteps retreated toward the wooden door. It creaked open slowly, and his voice slid through the narrow gap, summoning someone waiting in the corridor outside:

"She’s asleep... Come on, let’s do this quickly."