Can't Win Me Back (Isabella and Nathan)

Isabella felt her phone vibrate and took it out to read the new message. Her small movement caught the attention of Theodore sitting next to her. His sharp gaze swept over her phone, and his brows furrowed when he saw the message content.

Isabella was so angry that she wanted to curse out loud. In Nathan's eyes, she would always be the kind of person unworthy of being in such a place. How dare he mock her for not deserving to be here?

She quickly typed a response on her phone, but just as she was about to send it, a long, slender hand reached out and pressed down on her phone. She looked up to see Theodore shaking his head slightly at her. Isabella deleted her message and turned off the screen.

Her indifference to Nathan made him feel as though his anger had no impact, like a punch landing on cotton. He glared at his phone, repeatedly checking for a response from her. When he found none, his face darkened. He was certain she had read his message. In a fit of rage, he sent another message: "Isabella, are you using your identity as Mrs. Hill to manipulate things and secure your seat in the front row?"

He ended it with a more direct warning: "I'm warning you don't use your position as Mrs. Hill to gain personal benefits. You're embarrassing me."

When Isabella saw this message, the numbness in her heart was replaced by a sharp pain. Nathan was truly cold and heartless to the extreme. He could give Victoria so many privileges, paving the way for her career with both money and power. But as his wife, he neither spent money on her nor helped her advance. He treated her as if she were a thief, fearing that she might take even the smallest advantage from him.

Isabella didn't want to endure Nathan's endless humiliation any longer. She replied, "If you're so afraid that I, as Mrs. Hill, am riding on your coattails, then why don't you just revoke my title?"

Just as she was about to send it, her phone was snatched from her hand by Theodore, who decisively blocked Nathan's number.

"Sis, trash belongs in the trash can. Why let him bother you?" he said, his voice calm but firm.

When Nathan sent another message to Isabella, the chat window simply displayed a bright red question mark.

He was blocked? How dare she?

He looked up at Isabella, sitting gracefully in the front row, her expression serene and smiling, as if his interference hadn't affected her mood in the slightest. It made him feel completely insignificant. She was really getting better at playing the game. If she was so unaffected, why had she deleted his messages?

Just as Nathan pondered over Isabella's actions, the auction officially began. The first item on display was a sapphire necklace, surrounded by cherry blossoms to accentuate the gem's beauty.

The necklace's price wasn't enough to stir any excitement in the elite women's circle, especially since it was second-hand. Despite the host's enthusiastic pitch, no one was bidding.

The host, with a drooping head, turned to the audience and asked, "Is there anyone in the fashion industry who could help me highlight the selling points of this necklace?" There was a brief silence in the room.

After a while, Victoria stood up confidently, declaring, "Sapphire is a symbol of power. This necklace was passed down by Queen Elizabeth I to her daughter as a personal accessory. Anyone who owns it will surely receive divine favor and experience prosperity in their career." Her comment received loud applause, but despite the praise, no one stepped up to place a bid. After all, who would want to openly display their ambition?

The host awkwardly praised her: "Miss Victoria is truly knowledgeable, as expected from a well-known designer in the capital."

Then, the host smartly turned his gaze toward Isabella. "Miss, since you're seated in the front row, you must be an elite in the fashion world. Surely you have a way to help us sell this necklace, right?"

Just as the host was pleading with her, a murmur broke out behind her: "Isn't she that clueless, worthless Mrs. Hill?"

"She doesn't know anything about fashion. She probably hasn't even heard of this sapphire necklace."

"Shh, give Young Master Hill a little face. Don't say it."

The whispers continued, but Isabella stood up, unfazed.

Nathan's expression was dark.

Isabella gave a faint smile. These people with their narrow-minded views, didn't they understand the saying "thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side"?

To cover up her own hesitation, she carefully organized her words: "I'm not an expert on fashion, but coincidentally, I do know a bit about this necklace. What Miss Victoria said is both right and wrong. It's true that this was a gift from Her Majesty the Queen to her daughter, but it does not symbolize power. It symbolizes a lifetime of love. It's Her Majesty's most beautiful blessing to her daughter."

"Isabella, how do you know the meaning of this necklace? The Queen is a woman of great ambition; how could she be bound by trivial love? I think you've probably made up this meaning yourself to steal the spotlight," Victoria's friend stood up, challenging her.

Isabella remained calm and composed. "The necklace is surrounded by two cherry blossoms, one large and one small. The language of cherry blossoms is 'a lifetime of love for only you."" The host was stunned. "Ah, indeed, there are two cherry blossoms, one large and one small."

The applause from the audience was deafening.

Victoria's friend was livid, her face turning ashen.

Isabella turned around and gave her a mocking smile. "You're wrong. The flower language here doesn't represent love, but maternal love. It's Her Majesty's deep love for her daughter." Instantly, the applause grew louder.

Many young heirs and heiresses

from prestigious families raised their

paddles, eager to buy the necklace.

After all, what better way to please one's mother than with such a meaningful gift?

Victoria's face darkened.

Meanwhile, Nathan stared at Isabella's back, lost in thought. He didn't know that Isabella had such a bright side to her.

The next item for auction was a bracelet.

The host began the bidding at 3,000, only to be met with bursts of laughter from the audience.

But then, Isabella raised her hand. "I'll take it."

Whispers circulated: "The least favored daughter-in-law of the Hill family, coming from a poor background, obviously can't afford anything good. This bracelet, at most, suits her." The host called out, "3,000 once, 3,000 twice..."

Suddenly, Theodore raised his paddle. "I bid 5,200."

Isabella stared at him in confusion, silently asking: Why are you competing with me?

Theodore winked at her, silently mouthing, "If you like it, I'll buy it for you."

The audience was bewildered. "What's so special about this bracelet? Why are they both fighting so hard for it?"

Isabella sighed and chose to give up.

Theodore won the bracelet.

The host asked him, "Young Master Sanchez, why are you so attached to this bracelet? It seems like such a simple item."

Theodore replied, "You just don't recognize quality. This bracelet is made from flowers, and I'm buying it for my dear Sis. I want her life to be free of worries."

The audience suddenly understood and sighed in admiration.

"Such a beautiful meaning... I wish I had bid for it too."

Isabella smiled faintly, her gaze soft as she looked at Theodore. Her eyes grew inexplicably moist.

As the auction reached its climax, Isabella felt herself growing tired.

Until the host's voice rang out: "The next item for auction is-The City of Cycles..."

Suddenly, all her drowsiness disappeared, and her face turned as pale as paper.