Isadora already owned 30% of The Vaughan Group.


    Now, with the additional 30% Deanna had just handed her, she was about to be thepany''srgest shareholder.


    That meant she could finally force Richard and his family out.


    But Isadora understood exactly what this meant for her.


    She nodded stiffly, feeling her heart swell and ache as if it were soaked in acid, her limbs tingling with numbness.


    She knew what she was about to lose.


    Deanna called someone to bring thewyers and the paperwork.


    She looked at Isadora with a cool smile. "Miss Vaughan, you''re impressive. Not many people could get my grandson to care the way he does."


    "But I told you before there is absolutely no way you''ll ever set foot in the Fitzgerald family. Compared to walking away from Victor with nothing, at least you were smart enough to make the right choice."


    Isadora clenched her jaw, wanting to exin, but the words felt hollow.


    "I have an agreement with Victor. I''ll leave when the timees."


    Deanna''s lips curled in a cold, threatening smile. "Good. I hope you keep your word. Because if you don''t, I can''t say what I might do."


    Thewyers arrived.


    Before long, all three of them had signed the documents.


    Isadora''s hand shook as she signed, but she forced her name onto the line.


    Deanna took a sip of her tea, then asked lightly, “Miss Vaughan, what exactly do you feel for Victor?"


    Isadora had made her choice; there was no turning back now.


    She was never going to be part of the Fitzgerald family.


    Whether she loved him or not didn''t matter anymore.


    "I don''t love him," she replied quietly.


    Back in her car, Isadora stared at the stack of share transfer documents on the passenger seat, a sad, bitter smile tugging at her lips.


    Her phone rang-Nte was calling.


    "Isadora, did you talk to Victor about all this?" Nte asked.


    "No," Isadora replied, her voice t.


    Nte sounded surprised. She''d seen Isadora rush off to find Victor that day and assumed the two of them were wrapped up in each other now. That was why she''d left them alone for a few days before calling.


    "Why not?"


    "It doesn''t matter anymore."


    "How can you say that! What if he really does care about you?"


    Isadora lowered her gaze. "If he cared, his family would never ept me. Is he supposed to give up the Fitzgerald Group for me? Besides, someone from his world would be better off with a woman from a simr background.”


    Nte had always been wary of Isadora getting too involved. She knew how ruthless families like the Fitzgeralds could be, and now her fears hade true.


    Looking at the transfer agreement, Isadora let out a bitterugh. "That''s why I decided to walk away with a huge severance check before I go. At least I''m not leaving empty-handed."


    *


    Isadora drove straight to The Vaughan Group.


    Thanks to her previous position, no one tried to stop her.


    She went straight up to Richard''s office.


    Without knocking, she pushed open the door.


    Inside, she found a woman in her forties-stylishly dressed and still quite attractive—perched on Richard''sp.


    She was feeding Richard with a spoon, but at the sound of the door, she jerked in


    surprise, dropping the spoon into the bowl with a sharp tter.


    Richard frowned. "Barging in without knocking-didn''t anyone ever teach you manners?"