Twisted Ties of Love

Nathaniel, paralyzed from the waist down, leaned forward in his wheelchair, one hand seizing a fistful of Izabella's hair and pulling her towards his knees. Izabella, forced to raise her head, suppressed the sharp pain emanating from her scalp, her chin resting on Nathaniel's knee as she stared at the syringe in his hand.

Nathaniel's smile was sickly, almost demonic as he leaned into Izabella's ear, his voice raspy and low, "Bell is mine, in life and death. Her body belongs to me. I will not allow her to be with another man."

Izabella felt nauseous at his words, but she had already emptied her stomach earlier and there was nothing left to expel. She took a deep breath, steadying her voice as she retorted, "You're not worthy, Nathaniel. Do you genuinely love Bell? She's been gone for over a year, and you had ample time to search for her, but you didn't. Only when I took her place, you showed up. Have you ever wondered why?"

Izabella's eyes were dark and penetrating, the upturned corners of her mouth forming a sinister smile. Nathaniel froze, his breathing hitched as he stared into Izabella's face, locking eyes with her. He wanted to silence her, to stop her from speaking any further.

However, before he could act, he watched as Izabella parted her lips, each word she spoke unveiling the secrets he had kept hidden deep within him.

"You want Bell to be strong and independent like me, yet at the same time, you want her to be docile and subservient, like a housewife catering to your every whim. But Bell is not me, nor is she the latter. She only wanted to be good to you because she loved you, but you grew tired of her gentle nature, deeming it weak, unworthy of a powerful man like you."

"You and Brett are the same, stubborn and arrogant, always trying to mold people into the image you desire, and when you can't, you destroy it. Are you really trying to get Bell back by forcing me here today? No, you're only satisfying your own selfish desires. Once she returns, you will revert back to your domineering self. You, who enjoys controlling others' lives, are destined to live a lonely life, never finding true happiness."

Nathaniel's eyes were bloodshot, "You're talking nonsense!"

"Then answer me, why didn't you search for Bell all this time, but only came to find her when I appeared? You couldn't possibly be in love with me, could you?" Izabella pushed on, not giving him a chance to catch his breath. If you think injecting that drug into this body could keep it here, then you are gravely mistaken. I can make this body so tainted that you wouldn't want to touch it. Try me if you don't believe!" There was a conviction in Izabella's eyes that left no room for doubt. She had proven herself capable in the past, making Brett regret for the rest of his life, and she would do it again if she had to. "Do you really think I can't do anything to you?"

"Of course you can, but this body is mine now, and I control it. You can either kill me outright. But could you bear to do that, Nathaniel?" Could he bear to do that? In Nathaniel's eyes, this body would always be Bell's. Even if Izabella was the one occupying it, it was still Bell's.

Her eyes had looked at him, her hands had soothed his aching head, her mouth had called his name.

He couldn't bring himself to harm Bell's body. He wasn't Brett, who could freeze his lover's body in an ice house. He knew that Bell's frail body couldn't withstand the cold.

But he couldn't accept Bell's body being with another man, let alone see her in a wedding dress, marrying someone else, or carrying another man's child.

Nathaniel's face was stone-cold, oblivious to the tears streaming down his cheeks until a droplet landed on Izabella's cheek, making it seem as if she was the one crying. They were at a standoff, Izabella dared not move. Her only option now was to buy time, hoping that Casey would come to her rescue. She believed that he would find her. Suddenly, a man burst in from outside, looking somewhat frantic. "Mr. Krueger, there's an intruder outside."

Nathaniel's grip on Izabella's jaw tightened, his voice laced with malice, "Who do you think it could be?"

Izabella remained silent.

"Mr. Krueger, there are quite a few people outside. I saw some police officers."

"So everyone's here, including Casey." Nathaniel spoke slowly, his mind racing.

Izabella felt a knot in her stomach as she watched Nathaniel quickly regain his composure.

Nathaniel chuckled, releasing

Izabella's jaw. "Casey has come to

rescue you. After all these years, he's still as naive, always chasing after you without a second thought. Even if his legs were broken, he would still crawl his way to you."

Izabella's eyes hardened, her gaze piercing through Nathaniel, like a venomous snake.

But Nathaniel was unfazed,

continuing his taunting monologue, "I wonder if your fate will be the same as before. Izabella, I've come up with a great idea. You love Casey a lot don't you? What would happen

if Finject him with this drug?"

"You dare!" Izabella lost her cool, her calm facade shattering like cracked glass. "Nathaniel, if you lay a finger on him, I will make you pay!"

"Make me pay?" Nathaniel smirked, a trace of mockery on his face. "I've been living in pain since the day I found out about Bell's death. I don't care."

Izabella's pupils dilated in horror, Nathaniel reveled in the fear that was so evident in her eyes.

Nathaniel loosened his grip, maneuvering his wheelchair backwards. With no support, Izabella collapsed to the floor like a snake.

"Nathaniel!" Izabella's eyes were as red as if they were stained with blood. She screamed his name, trying to muster the strength to stand up and stop his madness, but her legs were weak and numb. Nathaniel had her chained to the wall, blindfolding her and gagging her mouth. She leaned against the wall, deprived of her sight, her hearing heightened. Unable to speak.

The room began to stir, she could hear Nathaniel instructing his men to hide, waiting for the moment Casey showed up to inject him with the drug.

The blindfold seemed to sink into her eye sockets, and the iron chains around her body had scraped her skin raw in her struggle.

The chains rattled, and once the room fell silent, the sounds of the swinging chains were particularly grating.

Bitterness spread in Izabella's mouth, her head banging against the wall behind her repeatedly, she felt like a bird chained and unable to fly.

In the pitch-dark world, her fear was magnified. She remembered the gunshot that year, Casey lying on the ground, his chest stained red with blood. Her world suddenly became a lonely tomb, devoid of life.

She slammed against the wall, tears dampening her blindfold. She didn't want Casey to come and save her, Izabella's upper body was shaking like a sieve, her mouth gagged, she could only breathe through her nose, which was becoming increasingly difficult.

Then came the sound of footsteps again. Izabella stopped moving until a familiar voice came.

"Bella."

In her world of darkness and chaos, there was only Casey's voice.

Casey knelt down, his hands gently and quickly removing her blindfold, caressing her red and swollen eyes from crying.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

"You're all grown up, Bella, why are you still such a cry baby?"