Free Web NovelChapter 195: Chapter Hundred And Ninety Four
Camilla turned her head slightly. She looked at her younger brother with her cold hazel eyes.
"Don’t worry, Zade," Camilla spoke out loud, her voice full of confidence. "I believe in Allen’s ability. He is an honest man. He did not run to his father to beg for help, and he did not try to cheat his rivals. Honesty and hard work are the best foundations for a successful business. I am willing to take the risk."
Zade stared at his sister’s determined face. He knew how stubborn she could be when she made up her mind. He let out a soft sigh, realizing he could not stop her.
Camilla turned her face back to Allen. She smiled a very encouraging, warm smile at the hopeful young man.
"Tomorrow, I will bring the money for you," Camilla said smoothly, outlining the details of the deal. "I will have my carriage deliver the principal capital directly to your shop. Give me your address so I know where to send it."
Allen’s pale face flushed with a warm, happy color. He felt an incredible wave of relief wash over his chest. But as he reached into the pockets of his grey coat, his hands stopped. He looked very embarrassed.
"I..." Allen stammered, looking down at his empty hands. "I don’t have any writing material with me today. Those thugs took my leather bag, and it must have been lost in the mud."
Zade let out a loud defeated sigh. He shook his head, but he was a good brother and wanted to help.
"I have one in the carriage," Zade spoke, gesturing toward the edge of the market street. "I have paper and a quill pen sitting in the back compartment. I will go and get it for you."
Zade turned around quickly and began walking out of the narrow, dark alleyway, heading toward the main street where their Kennedy family carriage was waiting.
Outside the dark alleyway, the Main Street was crowded and noisy.
A beautiful, dark carriage was slowly passing by the entrance of the market. The carriage was highly decorated, and the Ryde family crest was painted clearly in gold on the side of the wooden door. They took a detour because the main road was being repaired.
Sitting comfortably inside the carriage was Isabel Ryd. Her face held a very bored, slightly angry expression. She was still feeling humiliated from her previous encounter with the General.
Sitting across from her was her father, Lord Ryde. The older nobleman was looking quietly out the window.
Isabel leaned her head against the window frame. She looked out the glass, watching the streets and the poor commoners passing by with deep, unhidden disgust.
Suddenly, as the carriage rolled past the entrance of a narrow, dark alleyway, Isabel’s eyes locked onto two figures standing near the rotting wooden barrels.
She froze on the soft velvet seat. Her breathing stopped.
She saw Camilla. Even from a distance, the thick, red curly hair was absolutely unmistakable.
But Camilla was not alone.
Standing very close to her, talking to her quietly, was a tall man wearing a grey coat. Because of the angle of the carriage, Isabel could not see the man’s face at all. She could only see his broad back, his dark hair, and his grey coat. They looked incredibly close, standing alone in the shadowed alleyway, completely separated from the rest of the busy market.
Isabel’s blue eyes widened in sudden excitement. A cold, wicked spark of joy hit her chest. Her heart began to beat very fast.
"Stop the carriage!" Isabel spoke loudly, hitting the roof of the carriage.
The carriage jolted sharply, the wheels grinding against the stones as the horses stopped.
Lord Ryde blinked in surprise. He turned his head and looked at his daughter in confusion.
"What is the matter, my dear?" Lord Ryde asked, his deep voice full of puzzlement. He looked out his own window, but he only saw alleys and merchants. "Why did we stop? This is an unpleasant area. We should not linger here."
Isabel kept her eyes glued to the glass window. She stared at Camilla’s dress and the tall man in the grey coat. She was absolutely certain of what she was seeing. Her mind worked quickly, forming a very scandalous theory.
"Camilla is alone here,no guard or a chaperone," Isabel thought to herself, her mind filled with malice. Her internal voice was laughing.
"She is standing in a dark alleyway," Isabel’s thoughts continued, a cruel smile spreading slowly across her face. "And she is secretly meeting with a mysterious man. The General is busy at his military camp, and his wife is out here having a secret rendezvous in the dirt!"
Isabel felt an incredible surge of victory. She had finally found the ultimate weapon to destroy her rival.
She turned her head back inside the carriage. She looked at her father. She forced her face to look perfectly calm, sweet, and gentle. She put on a very innocent, reassuring smile. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"It’s nothing, Father," Isabel said sweetly, her voice as soft as honey. She waved her hand carelessly. "I apologize. I thought I saw someone I knew from high society walking near the shops, but I was mistaken. It is just some dirty commoners. We can go."
Lord Ryde let out a tired sigh. He adjusted his silver cane.
"Okay then," Lord Ryde replied, looking relieved. "Let us not waste any more time in this place."
The older lord raised his wooden cane. He hit the top of the carriage ceiling twice.
Thump. Thump.
The driver heard the signal. He cracked his leather reins, and the carriage stepped forward. The wheels rolled smoothly down the street, leaving the market place behind and heading toward their grand estate.
Inside the carriage, Isabel leaned back against the soft velvet cushions.
She opened her folding fan with a soft click and began fanning her face slowly. A cruel triumphant smile was plastered firmly on her pretty lips.
"Lady Camilla," Isabel thought to herself, her blue eyes shining with certainty.
"You act so proud and mighty in front of the General," she thought, her mind filled with pure joy. "You made me break my leg, and you look at me with those cold eyes. But you are actually just a dirty, cheating woman! You are having a secret affair in the slums of the city!"
Isabel clutched her fan tightly, her knuckles turning white.
"Just wait until Damon hears about this," Isabel planned happily in her mind, her thoughts turning dark. "He hates betrayals more than anything in the world. When I tell him that his legal wife is meeting other men in secret, he will throw you out of his house immediately. He will sign those divorce papers, and you will be disgraced forever!"
She looked out the window, completely pleased with her incredible good luck, fully prepared to destroy Camilla’s life.
