Chapter 5

A moment later, Noah merely chuckled and gently stroked Amber's cheek. "Don't be upset. I'll give you the first dance." Amber looked away in displeasure, but she still accepted his invitation and followed him into the ballroom. Isabelle looked up at the dancing couple in the center of the floor. To her surprise, she felt strangely calm. She quietly packed away her violin and turned to leave. She had barely taken a few steps when several women blocked her path. Before she could speak, they dragged her into a corner. "Mrs. Ashford—oh wait, Mr. Ashford doesn't want you anymore. You tramp, do you remember my hand?" One woman raised her left arm, revealing a healed stump just past the wrist. "All I did was bump into you once, and they cut off my hand." "And my face," another woman snapped, ripping off her mask to reveal scarred skin. "All I said was that you weren't that pretty, and someone threw acid on me." "My company went bankrupt because I said you were once a beggar!" another added. … Isabelle's chest tightened. She knew all this was Noah's doing. He had fiercely protected her with ruthless methods. Now that she had lost his favor, she was left to face their revenge. "What do you want from me?" she asked, struggling to break free. One woman grabbed her hair and slapped her hard. "We'll make you as miserable as we are! Let's see if you still dare to cling to Mr. Ashford." "Ms. Scott said whoever makes you suffer the most will earn her favor," another added. "Amber?" Isabelle was stunned. In that moment of shock, the women pinned her to the ground. One of them grabbed her face, slapping her repeatedly. Another pulled out a set of needles they had prepared in advance. They pinned down her fingers and drove the sharp tips under her nails. Isabelle screamed, but someone quickly covered her mouth. The pain was blinding. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her entire body trembled. When the women switched positions, she seized the chance to shove one of them aside and scrambled to her feet. Staggering, she collided with a champagne tower. The loud crash drew everyone's attention as she fell, landing in a mess of shattered glass. Wine and blood soaked her dress. "Ms. Spencer, are you trying to win pity with this little show?" Amber mockingly asked as she strolled over. "You planned this. You sent them to hurt me," Isabelle said through clenched teeth. "Hurt you?" Amber scoffed, linking her arm with Noah's. "I have a career. I have a man who loves me. What would I ever want from you?" Isabelle shuddered. Everything she once had was because of Noah. Without him, she had nothing. Isabelle smiled bitterly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered, "You're right. I have nothing." Just then, one of the women lunged at her again, shoving her back down into the broken glass. Noah frowned slightly, but in the end, he did nothing. Isabelle gasped as she trembled from the pain. "Don't feel sorry for her," one of the women sneered. "She tried to bribe us into hurting Ms. Scott. When we refused, she pulled this whole stunt to frame her." The women who had just attacked Isabelle stepped forward one after another, claiming she had tried to slander Amber out of jealousy. "I didn't do that," Isabelle protested, but no one believed her. She quickly became the target of everyone's anger. "You filthy woman. How could you be so vicious?" someone shouted while throwing a glass at her. "Mr. Ashford doesn't even want her anymore. She's just a lowly beggar, and she still dares to act like she matters." "Go back to being a beggar. Ms. Scott and Mr. Ashford are a perfect match. You're just a bitter castoff. Don't even think about breaking them apart." More insults and thrown glasses followed. Now that everyone knew Noah no longer cared for Isabelle, they felt free to attack her without restraint. All the hurt they had held back out of respect for Noah's love for her now came flooding back. Isabelle's eyes scanned the cold, angry faces around her, then finally settled on Noah's. He stood there indifferently without a trace of concern in his gaze. Instead, there was a hint of blame, as if he were holding her responsible for ruining the atmosphere of the evening once again. At that moment, every wound on her body seemed to burn even more. Her heart felt like it had been pierced over and over. Noah's silence chilled her to the bone. He had claimed his relationship with Amber was nothing serious, yet time and time again, he stood by and allowed Amber to hurt her. Everyone was hurting her, and he just stood there. She kept her eyes on him until all the light faded from them, leaving behind only emptiness and numbness. Suddenly, Isabelle felt utterly drained. There was no point in explaining anymore, and she had no desire to be the sacrifice fueling Noah and Amber's twisted love story. Bracing against the pain, she pushed herself to her feet. When she saw that Noah didn't try to stop her, she turned and limped toward the exit. With every step, shards of glass cut deeper into her feet, but she didn't pause. From that moment on, she would leave this place and Noah altogether.