Chapter 455

"Alright, go ahead. Let's hear what other excuses you got."

Isabella took a deep breath.

Nolan just smiled, his tone still as indulgent as ever. "Isabella, wait up. I haven't told you the good news yet. Today, I got back everything that belongs to me. I'm now the CEO of the Brown Group."

"Remember what I told you? I like you, so for you, I'm gonna be the best I can be. Whether it's my health or my status, I gotta be worthy of you."

Nolan was lost in his own emotions, eagerly anticipating Isabella's reaction to his words.

He had waited three long years for this day.

Every day abroad, he yearned to return to the Brown Group and reclaim everything that was his.

And, of course, his beloved Isabella.

Once, Isabella had chosen Michael over him.

That was a wound he could never erase.

Both grandsons of the Brown Family, they even looked about seventy to eighty percent alike. From a distance, it was hard to tell who was the older brother and who was the younger.

He had fallen for Isabella first. Back then, Michael didn't even like Isabella; he was into Bianca.

But why did Isabella choose Michael over him?

He didn't understand.

Why did Michael always outshine him? He hated Michael's very existence.

If it weren't for Michael, everything in the Brown Family would have been his.

So, no matter the cost or the means, he had to return to the Brown Family.

On the other end of the line, Isabella was stunned.

She opened her mouth, incredulous. "Nolan, do you even know what you're saying? Are you out of your mind?"

Was this still the Nolan she knew?

"Isabella, I'm not crazy. I'm very clear-headed. You have no idea how much I love you, how much I long to have you. I've worked so hard all these years just to stand by your side. Now, I've finally made it."

"Aren't you happy for me?"

Isabella didn't know what to say anymore.

Nolan had lost it, or rather, his mind had been twisted by hatred.

She blamed herself for not noticing his abnormal behavior sooner.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Nolan, if you were the one being framed and slandered in the news today, would you be happy?"

"And those photos, you had someone take them, didn't you?"

"Michael has already been forced out of the company by you, but that wasn't enough for you. So, you used me to push him further, hoping he'd lose all his fight and never compete with you for the Brown Group's inheritance again. Am I right?"

There was a long silence on Nolan's end.

Isabella was deeply disappointed.

There was no need for Nolan to explain. His earlier words had already revealed how determined he was about today's events.

The truth was right in front of her, and Isabella felt a heavy weight on her chest.

"Nolan, why have you become like this? Why?"

Isabella was on the verge of tears.

Thinking about the Nolan who used to comfort her over the phone and thoughtfully prepared birthday gifts for her every year, Isabella felt a pang of sadness and pain.

She didn't want Nolan to become like this. He was the person she trusted the most.

But why did he have to turn against her, use her, and hurt her in the name of love?

She couldn't accept it.

"Isabella, I love you. I've only ever loved you. Please believe me. I will bring you happiness."

Hearing Isabella's sobs, Nolan panicked.

But this time, Isabella wouldn't believe him anymore.

She didn't give Nolan a chance to explain further and said directly, "No, you don't love me. You love the version of yourself that you haven't achieved. You love yourself."

"Isabella, how can you misunderstand me like this? My love for you is real."

Being denied by the person he loved was devastating for someone like Nolan.

"All these years, I've never been with anyone else. Even when I was abroad, my heart was always with you. Do you know how I survived those three years alone in a foreign country?"

"If it weren't for your photos and calls, I wouldn't have made it this far."

"It was you who gave me the courage to live. How can you doubt my love for you?"

Isabella didn't want to hear any more declarations of love. She calmly rejected him.

"But I don't love you!"

Nolan was momentarily stunned.

Isabella continued, "Nolan, you know I only love Michael. Did you think that just because you confessed your feelings, I had to accept your love?"

"I didn't want to hurt your pride before, so I said I'd think about it. But what did you do? You had someone take photos of me, used me as a tool, and posted them online for entertainment. Did you really think I was that easy to manipulate?"

From that moment on, Isabella's goodwill towards Nolan plummeted to zero.

Since she and Michael were divorced, she no longer cared about Nolan's status as Michael's brother.

"Let me tell you, I have the entire Wilson Family behind me. If this affects the Wilson Family's reputation, you'll be facing a lawsuit."

Nolan had known Isabella long enough to understand that her concern wasn't really about the company's reputation but about Michael.

She just couldn't mention it because of their divorce.

But the more she cared about Michael, the angrier Nolan became.

Why?

Why did Michael deserve Isabella's love?

"Isabella, after all this, you're still most concerned about Michael, aren't you?"

Hearing Isabella's sudden silence on the other end, Nolan let out a cold laugh, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

"You just can't stand that I forced Michael out of the company. You feel sorry for him. But don't forget, how has he treated you these past three years? Every time you called me, it was because you were crying over him. You're divorced now. Why are you still thinking about him?"

"You're not his anymore. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with you."

Nolan finally showed his true colors.

Isabella gritted her teeth and retorted, "That's between him and me. It's none of your business!"

"Nolan, do you really think I don't know what you're up to? Your mind has always been terrifyingly deep. You've been planning this for so long, not just to provoke Michael."

"If I'm not mistaken, your next step is to use public opinion to achieve your goal. You'll announce our divorce first, then take all the blame yourself, using the influence of public opinion to force me to be with you. Ultimately, you'll turn fiction into reality, right?"