Chapter 8 Billionaire's Scandal

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• Max had spent his whole life believing that no matter how ruthless his father was in business, family always came first. That belief had just been shattered.
• He paced the length of his study, fists clenching and unclenching as he replayed the conversation with Gerald Blackwood in his mind. Every single word. Every smug expression. Every confirmation of his betrayal.
• All this time, he had been searching for the enemy in the wrong place. He had been looking outward, never realizing that the real threat had been lurking within his own bloodline. His own father had orchestrated the destruction of the woman he loved, the woman he had once doubted, and now he had to look her in the eye and tell her everything.
• Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the doors to their private lounge.
• Isabella was curled up on the couch, a book resting on her lap, a cup of tea in her hands. She looked so calm, so unaware of the storm that was about to crash down around her.
• She glanced up the moment she heard him enter. “Max?”
• One look at his face, and she set her tea down immediately. “What happened?”
• Max exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair before he finally met her gaze. “It’s my father,” he said, his voice tight. “He was behind everything.”
• Isabella’s eyes darkened, confusion flickering across her face. “What do you mean?”
• Max stepped closer, closing the distance between them. His fingers curled into fists as he forced the words out. “Adam didn’t act alone. My father was the one pulling the strings from the very beginning. He manipulated Adam, encouraged his obsession with you, and gave him the push he needed to go through with the plan.” His jaw clenched, his voice thick with restrained fury. “Everything that happened to you—the drugging, the setup, the humiliation—it was all orchestrated by my own father.”
• Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
• Isabella stared at him as if waiting for him to take it back. As if she could will the truth into being something else. But Max didn’t waver. He let the reality of it settle in.
• Then, she let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
• “Of course,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Of course, it had to be him.” Her voice trembled, but her eyes were filled with something colder—something darker. “Because ruining my reputation, destroying our relationship, making me feel like nothing—none of that was enough, right? He had to make sure I was completely crushed.”
• She lifted her gaze, and the pain in her eyes nearly shattered him.
• “But why?” Her voice was quieter now. More broken. “What did I ever do to him? I loved you, Max. That’s all I did.”
• Max clenched his jaw, reaching for her hands and gripping them tightly. “It wasn’t about you, Isabella. It was never about you.” His voice was thick with barely contained anger. “It was about power. Control. He thinks the Fontaine family is a liability. He wanted to force me into marrying someone else—someone he could control, someone who wouldn’t threaten his empire.”
• Isabella scoffed, her grip tightening in his. “So, he tried to ruin me?” Her voice shook with restrained fury. “And what? You were just supposed to believe it? Walk away? Forget about me?”
• Max exhaled sharply, guilt flickering in his expression. “That was the plan.” His voice was laced with regret. “And for a while… it worked.”
• Isabella flinched slightly, but she didn’t pull away.
• Max swallowed hard. “I let myself believe the worst of you. I let my anger blind me. And I will never forgive myself for that.” He cupped her cheek, his touch gentle despite the storm raging inside him. “But I swear to you, Isabella, he won’t get away with this.”
• Isabella stared at him, her eyes filled with a mix of pain and something else—something stronger.
• Then, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “No, he won’t.”
• Max frowned slightly, watching as a fire lit behind her gaze.
• “He wants to play dirty?” Isabella’s voice was low, controlled. Dangerous. “Fine. But he’s not the only one who knows how to destroy an empire.”
• A slow, dangerous smirk crossed Max’s lips. “You’re thinking of using your father.”
• Isabella tilted her chin up, determination burning in her eyes. “The Fontaine family isn’t weak. My father might play nice, but he’s just as ruthless in business as your father is. And now that I know what Gerald Blackwood did to me?” Her voice dropped, her next words laced with venom. “I won’t sit back and do nothing.”
• Max studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Then we go to war.”
• She met his gaze. “Together.”
• Max nodded again, then straightened. “But first, I’m releasing Adam.”
• Isabella’s brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”
• Max held her gaze steadily. “He’s not the real enemy here.” His voice was firm, decisive. “He was used, just like us.”
• Isabella’s eyes darkened. “Max, he drugged me.” Her voice was sharp, edged with barely contained fury. “He sat back and watched while I was humiliated, destroyed. I won’t just let that go.”
• Max exhaled, his tone softer but no less resolute. “And he’ll pay for that, Isabella. I promise you. But if we’re going after my father, we need to be smart.” His gaze hardened. “Adam is nothing compared to the man we’re about to face. And right now, he’s locked away, useless to us. But if we let him out—”
• “Then what?” Isabella cut in, her
• Max held her gaze, his expression unreadable. “Then we use him.”
• Isabella scoffed, crossing her arms. “Use him? You think Adam is just going to suddenly switch sides and help us? After everything?”
• Max’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Adam may have been obsessed with you, but he was also manipulated. My father dangled power in front of him, pushed him to act on his worst impulses, and when things fell apart, he let him take the fall alone. If we give Adam a reason to turn on him, we gain an advantage.”
• Isabella stared at him, her anger still simmering. “And what reason would that be?”
• Max took a step closer, his voice low and controlled. “Revenge. Adam’s biggest weakness is his pride. Right now, he thinks my father abandoned him. If we make him believe that Gerald used him and planned to discard him all along, he’ll do the rest on his own. And a man like Adam? He’s dangerous when he feels betrayed.”
• Isabella exhaled, shaking her head. “This is a gamble, Max.”
• “I know,” he admitted. “But if we want to take my father down, we need every weapon we can get. And Adam is a weapon.”
• She was silent for a moment, processing everything. Then, finally, she sighed. “Fine. But if this backfires, I want you to remember that I warned you.”
• Max smirked slightly, the cold edge returning to his gaze. “Noted.”
• She studied him carefully. “So what’s the next move?”
• Max’s expression darkened. “We hit him where it hurts—the company. Gerald Blackwood built his empire by controlling his enemies. But this time, he won’t see us coming.”
• A slow, determined smirk crossed Isabella’s lips. “Then let’s make sure he never sees daylight again.”