Blizzard, First Love and a Wife Who Finally Snaps novel Chapter 188

She continued, “I have nothing to hide. The reason I’m doing this is because of my ex-husband and his precious darling. He’s a powerful man, and to get back what is rightfully mine, I need to borrow some strength. To be blunt, I’m using you. Of course, you don’t have to agree just because I resemble your daughter. You have every right to refuse.”

Victor and Vivienne exchanged a glance. They knew Isabel needed an identity, but they hadn't been aware of the details behind it. The Durantin family was a tight-knit clan. Those who married into it were devoted and faithful; to this day, there had never been a divorce. Hearing Isabel’s story, they knew her past had been difficult.

Vivienne’s heart ached for her. She moved to embrace Isabel again. “My poor baby, you’ve suffered so much.”

Isabel felt the urge to cry again. She wasn’t normally one for tears. She had swallowed all the bitterness and sorrow of the past years on her own. Her philosophy had always been to face problems head-on, to allow for things to happen, and to permit herself to make mistakes. That was how she grew stronger, how she learned to face anything with composure. She didn’t know if it was because her own mother had been gone for so long, or because Mrs. Ashford had lost her own daughter, but she felt a profound sense of empathy.

“Thank you, Mrs. Ashford.”

“My sweet girl,” Vivienne said, caressing Isabel’s face. “No one will ever be able to bully you again. I will protect you with all my might.”

“Thank you,” Isabel said again.

With that, the matter was settled. Vivienne insisted on cooking a meal for Isabel herself. Isabel didn’t want to just sit and wait, so she got up to help. Vivienne tried to refuse, but Isabel stayed by her side, helping with small tasks. It was something Vivienne had often dreamed of—her daughter growing up, helping her wash vegetables, or planting flowers together. So she couldn't bring herself to send her away.

***

Back in the living room, Julian finally spoke. “We need to hold a ceremony, to let everyone know she is Isabel Ashford-Durantin. It will completely erase her former identity as Isabel Hayes.”

Victor nodded. “I’ll arrange it.” He added, “If she needs to be added to our family register, I can handle that as well.”

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