Gabriel emotionally recounts finding Isla unconscious and bleeding in the hallway, revealing his anger and frustration over the lack of evidence on the surveillance footage. Isla listens silently, her mind racing as she realizes Anna had staged the incident to frame Alfred, a reckless move that now gives Isla every reason to seek revenge. Despite the pain of losing her baby, Isla feels a renewed determination because she now holds the proof needed to expose Anna’s crimes.
Gabriel then shares that Alfred suffered a heart attack and is in the hospital, a consequence of the stress caused by the situation. Isla’s grief deepens, but Gabriel’s heartfelt apology and visible vulnerability touch her deeply. She silently reassures him by holding his hand, though her own tears continue to flow as the weight of their shared suffering presses down on her.
Diana and Charles enter, offering comfort and trying to ease Isla’s pain with gentle words about the future. However, they do not fully grasp the depth of her loss. When Charles asks what happened, Isla reveals firmly that it was Anna who attacked her, not Alfred. This revelation shocks Gabriel and alarms Charles, setting the stage for a confrontation about Anna’s true role in the attack.
The chapter ends with Isla’s quiet but resolute accusation, marking a turning point as she openly identifies Anna as the culprit behind the attack and the pain she has endured. The tension in the room rises, highlighting the emotional and familial conflicts that will drive the story forward.
0129
Gabriel’s voice faltered as he recounted the moment he found her. “After he discovered you lying unconscious in the hallway… bleeding…” His words wavered, weighed down by the raw emotion beneath them.
“He called for help immediately,” Gabriel continued, struggling to keep his composure. “I blamed him for everything, Isla. I was furious—angry beyond words. Especially when the surveillance footage showed nothing. It was as if someone had wiped every second clean. No one knows what truly happened to you.”
Isla’s face remained impassive, her expression cold and unreadable, but inside, her thoughts churned violently.
So this was the truth. Anna had dragged her out of the storeroom, carefully staging the scene to make it seem as if she had simply fallen in the hallway—all to frame Alfred.
What a reckless, foolish move.
She should have finished what she started, Isla thought bitterly, her mind sharpening with resolve. Because now, Anna had given her every reason to destroy her utterly.
Anna had made the gravest mistake of her life by letting Isla live.
Her crimes were countless, too many to tally. Even if John chose to remain silent despite all he knew, Isla would not. Not anymore. Not after losing her baby.
Gabriel’s next words pulled her back from the storm of thoughts. “He had a heart attack,” he said softly, his voice breaking. “He’s in the hospital right now.”
Isla closed her eyes tightly, a sharp, stabbing pain twisting deep within her chest. The ache was raw, unbearable.
She had feared this outcome. She’d told herself Alfred was growing too frail to handle stress, but she hadn’t imagined Anna would strike so soon. Once again, the old man had underestimated Anna—and this time, it had cost him dearly.
It was all part of Anna’s plan. She had calculated every move, erased every trace, left no evidence behind.
Even if Isla confronted her now, Anna would simply deny everything, demand proof, and smile coldly while doing so.
But this time, Isla was armed with proof. She held all the evidence she needed.
That knowledge brought a strange calm over her. She still had one card left to play—and it was powerful enough to bring Anna down completely.
“Mother blamed him for what happened to you,” Gabriel said quietly. “I did too. We all did. He couldn’t bear that none of us trusted him. And then… he just collapsed.”
Tears spilled down Isla’s cheeks, but she remained silent. The pain was too overwhelming. Anna had caused them so much suffering.
Gabriel sat on the edge of her bed, his hands shaking. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, Isla. I’m sorry for everything. It’s all my fault. I should never have taken you there. I did exactly what the doctor warned me against—I exposed you to stress, to danger. I should have followed you when he asked to speak to you alone.”
His voice cracked again, this time completely breaking.
Gabriel Wyndham had always been a pillar of strength, a man who never showed weakness. But now, crumpled and vulnerable, his quiet sobbing pierced Isla’s heart more deeply than her own pain.
Seeing him like this was unbearable.
Her hand trembled as she reached out and gently squeezed his palm—a silent message that she didn’t blame him.
Her own tears flowed freely. She wanted to be strong, but grief weighed too heavily on her. The sound escaping her lips was no longer soft or restrained; it was loud, raw, and filled with anguish.
At that moment, the door opened.
Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock. He stood abruptly, body tense. “What are you saying? I thought… I thought he stressed you out, and then you collapsed while leaving?”
Isla shook her head slowly. “No. Someone else attacked me,” she repeated firmly. “Someone who didn’t want me to have the child.”
Charles rose immediately, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm. “Then who?” he demanded. “Who did this?”
Isla met her father’s eyes, then glanced at Gabriel.
Her lips trembled as she spoke quietly, “It was Anna.”
The chapter closes on a poignant note, capturing the depth of Isla’s pain and the heavy burden of betrayal she carries. The raw emotions shared between Isla and Gabriel reveal the complexity of their intertwined fates, marked by sorrow, guilt, and unspoken truths. Despite the overwhelming grief, there is a quiet strength emerging within Isla, fueled by the clarity of the evidence she now holds and the resolve to confront the darkness that has shadowed her life.
Amidst the sorrow, the presence of family offers a fragile thread of support, even as misunderstandings and hidden motives linger in the air. The delicate balance between comfort and confrontation sets the stage for the difficult path ahead. This chapter poignantly underscores themes of loss, resilience, and the painful pursuit of justice, leaving readers with a sense of both heartbreak and hope for the battles yet to come.
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled web of deceit and betrayal that has been slowly unraveling. As Isla’s revelation about Anna’s true role in the attack sinks in, tensions will rise, and loyalties will be tested. The family’s fragile unity is on the brink of shattering, and the emotional fallout will be intense, especially as Gabriel and Charles grapple with the implications of Isla’s accusation. Expect raw confrontations and the stirring of long-buried resentments that threaten to explode.
Meanwhile, Isla’s inner strength will be put to the test as she prepares to confront Anna with the proof she holds. The quiet calm she has found may soon be replaced by a fierce determination to seek justice, but the path ahead is fraught with danger and uncertainty. The emotional weight of her loss still lingers heavily, and her interactions with her family will reveal new facets of vulnerability and resilience. Readers will be drawn into a gripping narrative of power struggles, emotional reckoning, and the quest for truth.
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Extraordinary Bride Of The Wyndham Family (Isla and Gabriel)