Isabella’s POV

Marcus was feeding her gently with soup, smiling at her with so much love.

Watching them before would have caused my heart to ache, but now, I felt nothing. I turned to leave to avoid them seeing me, but like always, I had terrible luck.

“Isabella?” Marcus’s voice reached my ears, and I tensed, gritting my teeth in annoyance.

I turned slowly keeping my face blank and emotionless as I stared at him. His expression faltered the moment our eyes met. I could see the guilt burning in his eyes, as if he had just realized that I existed.

“I… I didn’t know you were awake,” he stammered, standing up from beside Bianca. “How… how are you feeling?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t even blink. I just stared. My silence spoke louder than anything I would have said.

He looked down with shame on his face. “Your sacrifice… it wasn’t in vain,” he said gently, lifting his eyes to look at me. “Look, Bianca is fine. The baby is very healthy and strong. You saved them both.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed bitterly and humorlessly, and Marcus flinched at the harsh sound.

Bianca rested a hand on her belly, smiling sweetly, but her eyes shone with glee. “Marcus has been taking such good care of me. He never left my side for once.”

I wasn’t interested in hearing any more, so I turned without saying anything, ready to walk away, but Marcus jumped up, reaching out to me. “Wait please, Isabella, just wait.”

I paused, not because I wanted to, but because I wanted to hear the nonsense he would say.

“I’m throwing a party this evening,” he said quickly. “To celebrate your recovery… and Bianca’s safe return home. We all went through a lot, and I just want to bring everyone together. My father will be there, he really wants to see you.”

Still, I didn’t say a word.

He stepped closer, trying to soften his voice. “Let me give you a ride home. We’re all going the same way anyway.”

“I’m not going home,” I said flatly. “I’m going to the orphanage.”

Alexander had promised to protect the orphanage when I agreed to his proposal, so I just wanted to make sure everything was in place. I wanted to make sure no one could ever use it against me again, and that Marcus could never touch the only piece of my father I had left.

Marcus blinked in confusion. “The orphanage? Why?”

I tilted my head, expression still blank. “Because I have business to handle. Don’t bother yourself about it.”

Bianca perked up. “Oh! That’s perfect. I’ve been meaning to visit anyway. It is our father’s orphanage, after all.”

I lifted an eyebrow at her in surprise. She had always wanted nothing to do with the orphanage.

Marcus nodded immediately. “Then we’ll come with you. That sounds great.”

I stared at him, stunned for a moment by the speed of his agreement. This was the same Marcus who always rolled his eyes at the mention of the orphanage. The same Marcus who said it was a burden, a waste of money, an unnecessary sentiment.

But now that Bianca mentioned it, he quickly agreed.

I scoffed under my breath, watching them with a sneer on my face.

“Fine,” I said coolly. “You can come with me. But I need one last thing from you.”

Marcus straightened slightly, looking hopeful. “Anything.”

I reached into my bag, and pulled out the document that I had been carrying since he brought Bianca home. “Sign this.”

He blinked at me, furrowing his eyebrows as he took the papers from me. “What is it?”

“My discharge form,” I replied with a blank expression.

He hesitated for a second.

Marcus had always been very careful with whatever he signed. He made sure he read it carefully, no matter what it was. However, immediately he glanced at Bianca, and she smiled coyly at him, batting her lashes, he forgot all about his carefulness.

“I’m getting tired, Marcus,” she said sweetly. “Let’s go home fast..”

He nodded, barely glancing at the document before signing the document. The moment he finished signing, a small satisfied smirk crossed my lips.

“Thank you,” I said, placing the document back in my bag. “Now I’m free.”

He didn’t understand the double meaning in my words as he kept fussing over Bianca.

Isabella’s POV

When we reached the car, Bianca rushed to open the front passenger door for herself, but to my surprise, Marcus held her back.

“Hold on, Bianca,” he said, then he turned to me. “Isabella… maybe you should sit in the front,” he said, giving me a small hopeful smile.

“Bianca can stay in the back..” He added.

“No,” Bianca protested, pouting like a drama queen. “I’ll get nauseous if I sit in the back. The baby’s been making me so dizzy lately, Marcus”

I rolled my eyes.

Marcus looked conflicted as he tried to think of how to please us both.

“It’s fine,” I said coldly.. “Let her sit in the front.”

Marcus tried to protest. “But—”

“I said it’s fine,” I repeated, my voice was sharper this time. “Let her sit in the front, Marcus. I don’t care.”

There was silence for a moment. Bianca smiled in triumph. Marcus frowned, but he didn’t argue again.

I climbed into the backseat silently, wincing quietly as my body ached furiously.

As I sat in the backseat, the ache in my body increased slightly, but I clenched my jaw and said nothing. I leaned my head against the window and stared outside, pretending I wasn’t here.

After five minutes, Bianca began her little games, hoping to get a reaction from me.

She placed her hand on Marcus’s thigh, and her fingers trailed up in slow circles. I didn’t bother looking, but from the corner of my eye, I could see her giving me a mocking side glance.

Marcus stiffened immediately. “Bianca,” he warned, murmuring under his breath, moving her hand off.

She blinked innocently. “What?”

When he didn’t say anything, she returned her hand, and continued, moving her fingers higher this time.

“I said stop it,” Marcus snapped, more firmly now.

She flinched, and her eyes welled up with tears instantly as she turned away and began to cry softly into her palms.

“Why are you yelling at me?” she whimpered, her voice trembling. “I’m pregnant, Marcus… and you’re yelling…”

He exhaled heavily, his expression softening. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to yell. Just… stop doing that when…when…. she’s here.”

He didn’t mention my name, as if I were a ghost in the backseat, an intruder to their private time.

Bianca sniffed, then she leaned forward, and began searching through the compartment. “I’m just looking for tissues,” she muttered.

What she pulled out was definitely not tissue.

She held up a tiny piece of lace fabric. They were red panties, and she laughed in delight.

“Oh my god, Marcus,” she giggled. “Remember this? When we couldn’t make it to the hotel? You pulled me to your lap right in this car and—”

“That’s enough,” Marcus said tightly, not looking at her.

“Oh, relax,” Bianca said with a roll of her eyes. “Isabella understands that it’s just the hormones. Hormones make one very horny, thankfully… I have you for that.” She murmured softly, placing her hand on Marcus’s thigh again. This time he didn’t say anything.

Marcus glanced at me through the rearview mirror, and for a moment, our eyes met, but I looked away before he could see anything in my eyes.

.

Immediately I got to the orphanage, I stepped out of the car without saying a word, leaving Marcus and Bianca behind.

I walked through the familiar gates and into the building that had been my father’s life’s work. My chest tightened with the memory, but I pushed it aside, I had work to do.

The administrator, Mr. Jackson, looked up as I entered his office. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw me, and then he smiled warmly.

“Miss Isabella,” he said, standing quickly. “You’re back.”

“I need to talk to you,” I said, wasting no time in getting to business.

Just as we were concluding our discussion, a loud, piercing cry echoed through the halls.

My heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong.

I turned and ran out of the room, Mr. Jackson followed behind me.

The stench of smoke hit me immediately I stepped out.

I could hear screams coming from the west wing. I rushed forward, and froze in place as I stared in horror at the scene before me.

Isabella's POV

The west wing of the orphanage was on fire.

The flames burned furiously, consuming everything in their path, and the thick black smoke pierced through my lungs.

Children were sobbing. Some were already outside, others were trapped, and the staff tried desperately to evacuate them.

“What the hell happened here? How did this happen?” I asked frantically.

One of the staff replied, crying hard. “It's your step sister, she started the fire. She kept messing with the gas cookers in the kitchen.”

Rage surged through me, but there was no time to confront her.

“Get these children out, let me check for more!” I shouted to the staff, then I rushed into the thick smoke.

I rushed into different rooms, pulling children out. My lungs burned. My arms trembled. I couldn’t stop. My baby didn’t get the chance to live, so I would make sure these children got a chance, even if it killed me.

My legs ached and my vision blurred as I ran through the flames. The fire was spreading faster.

One by one, I helped them out.

After checking all the rooms, and making sure everyone was safe, I began making my way out, coughing as it was getting harder to breathe.

I blindly felt my way back as the smoke was too thick making it hard for me to see.

Suddenly, something slammed into me, and I stumbled back, almost falling.

“Bianca?” I choked out.

She looked disoriented, and panicked, but her eyes widened when she saw me.

“I—I didn’t mean for it to get this bad,” she coughed, trying to wave away the smoke around her. “I just wanted to scare you… I didn’t know it would spread this fast!”

“Are you insane?!” I screamed. “You set a fire in an orphanage! With children inside!”

She shook her head. “I just wanted to piss you off, because I knew how much you cared about this place.”

Before I could respond, the ceiling began to fall.

“Move!” I yelled, grabbing her arm and pushing her out of the way.

The ceiling fell before us, blocking us from the exit.

We were trapped.

Panic surged in my chest.

Bianca whimpered, stumbling back. “I don’t want to die,” she cried. “Marcus… Marcus, help!”

Suddenly, a voice yelled from outside. Marcus’s voice.

“Isabella!” he shouted from outside. “Isabella’s still inside!”

Seconds later, he burst through the smoke, with terror on his face.

His eyes landed on me instantly.

“Isabella!” he shouted, running toward me, holding two gas masks in his hands. They were from the first aid in our car.

For a second, just one second, I thought he came for me.

I thought I mattered.

Until Bianca whimpered softly.

“Marcus…” she called faintly, her voice was frail, scared, and pitiful.

He froze, his eyes widened. He hadn't known that Bianca was also inside.

“Marcus, the baby… I—I can’t breathe—”

He immediately turned away from me to rush to Bianca.

“No,” I croaked, reaching for one of the gas masks in his hands.

He yanked them away from my reach. “Bianca will need them, Isabella! What if one is faulty?!” He barked at me, his eyes blazed wildly.

I watched as he quickly placed one of the gas masks on her face, and carried her gently, holding the second gas mask uselessly in his hand.

I felt numb at that very moment. I knew he had chosen her already, but being left to die was like a slap.

His eyes met mine one last time, and I stared back into his eyes, but I felt nothing. No sorrow, no rage, just acceptance.

He swallowed, an unreadable expression crossed his face, then he turned away, disappearing with Bianca in his arms.

The flames drew closer.

I slumped to the floor, accepting my death. The heat was unbearable, and everything hurt, but I didn't move.

A sound reached my ears, but I was too weak to move. I was already losing consciousness.

Then I felt strong, gentle arms wrap around me firmly.

A deep familiar voice murmured near my ear. “I’ve got you, Isabella. Stay with me.”

I tried to look up, but I couldn’t.

“I’ve got you now… it’s alright… I’ve got you.”

I didn’t know who it was, but I let myself relax into those warm comforting arms as he whispered soothing words over and over till I finally lost consciousness.

That day, Isabella Pierce died, and a new person was born.

Marcus，One day I will make you pay for what you did to me!