Chapter 504

The cozy suburban home was bathed in the warm glow of the evening.

Two couples lounged in the living room, their attention fixed on the breaking news broadcast.

The headline dominated every channel - Margaret Laurent had been arrested!

The screen showed footage of Margaret being escorted by police, her once-proud demeanor now reduced to a pitiful spectacle.

"Wait...that officer looks familiar," Isabella murmured, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Her eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. "Oh! He was sitting next to me at Vanessa's birthday gala. We even had a lovely conversation about-"

Before she could finish, Alexander's expression darkened. He captured her chin possessively, silencing her with a deep kiss that radiated jealousy.

Nearby, Eleanor and Nathaniel were engrossed in the news when the sudden intimate sounds caught their attention. Nathaniel instinctively shifted his broad frame to block their view, then pulled Eleanor into an equally passionate embrace.

"What's this? Too scandalous for my innocent eyes?" Eleanor teased, pouting playfully. "I've seen plenty in my time. It's just a kiss, after all."

"Merely sparing you the awkwardness," Nathaniel countered, pinching her nose affectionately.

Across the room, Alexander finally broke the kiss, leaving Isabella breathless and flushed. His eyes burned with intensity.

"Darling, are you trying to provoke me by mentioning another man?" His thumb traced her swollen lips. "Handsome officer? More handsome than your husband?"

Isabella blushed crimson. "Well...you're both attractive in different ways."

Alexander arched an eyebrow dangerously. "Different how?"

"You! Definitely you!" Isabella giggled uncontrollably as he tickled her, melting into his embrace.

Eleanor rested her head on Nathaniel's shoulder, casting a knowing glance at Alexander. "If not for love being blind, the jury might still be out on that one."

Alexander's heart pounded like a drumbeat.

Everyone knew how protective Eleanor was of Isabella. If he hadn't claimed her first, who knew which of the Sinclair brothers Eleanor might have matched her with?

The thought made him clutch Isabella's hand tighter, as if someone might snatch her away.

The news report continued, revealing that Jeffrey had been rushed to the hospital under mysterious circumstances.

No explanation needed - undoubtedly stress-related!

The camera cut to Matthew Chambers, CEO of the Vanderbilt Group, besieged by reporters outside the hospital. His grim expression suggested he'd aged a decade overnight.

"Now this is better than any primetime drama!" Alexander declared, slapping his thigh in satisfaction while keeping Isabella close.

Isabella offered him a lick of her strawberry popsicle, which he accepted with a tender smile, his fingers gently stroking her hair.

"With Margaret arrested for trafficking and her husband for...unconventional marital activities, they truly deserve each other," Eleanor remarked disdainfully, watching Matthew's pale face on screen. "The Vanderbilt empire is crumbling. It's only a matter of time before prosecutors come knocking."

Nathaniel nodded in agreement. "Jeffrey's sudden hospitalization is likely just a ploy to avoid questioning."

"The cunning old fox!" Alexander spat through gritted teeth.

"Alexander," Isabella asked with innocent curiosity, "what exactly is a threesome?"

The room fell silent.

Alexander cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem. That's a...private discussion for later. Behind closed doors."

As the news segment ended, the Vanderbilt scandal had dominated nearly half the broadcast - a fitting spectacle for their love of ostentation.

"It's horrifying what they did to those women!" Isabella's eyes welled with angry tears. "They deserve the harshest punishment!"

"They've been caught, darling," Alexander soothed, pulling her closer.

A solemn quiet settled over the room.

Though Margaret had been arrested, Byron - who had wronged Natalie - remained free, his crimes unpunished.

And as for Adrian, that venomous snake...he was a problem that required special handling.

Their campaign against the Vanderbilt Group was only beginning.

Nathaniel noticed Eleanor's pensive expression and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You've done brilliantly, Eleanor. The Vanderbilts are one of the elite families - deeply entrenched. Uprooting them takes time. Leave Byron to me."

"No," Eleanor's eyes glinted coldly. "We won't need to lift a finger. Someone else will take out the trash for us."

Alexander frowned. "Who?"

Nathaniel's eyebrows rose in understanding. "You mean Adrian?"

"My brilliant husband," Eleanor purred, looping her arms around his neck. "Exactly."

"But he's a Vanderbilt!" Alexander protested. "With the family in crisis, why would he-"

"Adrian and his mother were exiled to the outskirts of Seattle for fifteen years," Nathaniel explained smoothly. "Jeffrey treated them as non-existent. Adrian craves power like a starving man craves food, and his mother suffers advanced Alzheimer's. Can you imagine the resentment festering all these years? Would you feel any loyalty?"

"Take over Vanderbilt Group? That's biting off more than he can chew!" Alexander scoffed.

"If the Vanderbilts stood united, he wouldn't stand a chance," Eleanor said darkly. "But divided as they are, he'll seize this opportunity to eliminate his obstacles - first Byron, then Matthew. With no one left to support Jeffrey, the empire falls right into Adrian's lap."

Nathaniel chuckled darkly. "Precisely. Classic Adrian strategy."

"So we wait and counter whatever comes our way," Eleanor concluded confidently, linking arms with Nathaniel. "Our inaction will force Adrian's hand against Byron."

The next day, the stock market opened to disaster.

Vanderbilt Group shares plummeted, painting trading boards a sickly green. The scandal fermented, corporate unrest grew.

By the third day, Jeffrey remained "ill" in hospital while Matthew faced prosecutors.

On the fourth day, Reginald was cornered by press demanding his take on the Vanderbilt crisis.

"Mr. Sinclair, given your close ties with Mr. Vanderbilt, what's your perspective on their current predicament?"

Reginald's expression remained cool. "Mr. Vanderbilt and I were business associates, nothing more. As for my opinion? When you make your bed, you lie in it. Let's hope the Vanderbilt Group learns from this."

Jeffrey, watching from his hospital bed, shattered the television with a chair.

Days passed with no further moves from Eleanor and Nathaniel.

Just as predicted, Adrian's patience wore thin.

Originally planning to use proxies, he now had to act directly or lose his chance.

That night, cloaked in darkness, Adrian followed Harvey's trail to the detention center.

The once-pampered Margaret now sat disheveled behind glass, her face a patchwork of bruises - even fellow inmates despised her crimes.

"Dear sister," Adrian greeted with mocking sweetness. "How fares the fallen queen?"

"Drop the act, you viper!" Margaret snarled, eyes wild. "Father and Matthew will get me out! When I'm free, I'll tear out your throat!"

Adrian chuckled darkly. "Still clinging to Vanderbilt men? How naïve. If they cared, you wouldn't be here." He adjusted his glasses smugly. "Ironically, I'm the only one who visited."

Margaret's face contorted with dawning horror.

He was right.

With their influence, why hadn't they helped? Their silence...were they sacrificing her?

"Damn them all!" Margaret shrieked, prompting guards to restrain her.

Adrian's smile widened behind feigned concern. "Since they've abandoned you...perhaps I can exact some revenge on your behalf?"