Chapter 10

Isabella felt like she was stuck in this long, weird dream. There was this creepy river and a ferryman in raggedy gray robes who came up to her.

"Come on, Isabella, I'll take you to a place with no hate or worries," the ferryman said, reaching out his bony hand. It looked like just skin and bones, dry as a skeleton.

Something inside Isabella kept screaming at her not to get on the boat, but she couldn't control her body. She reached out to the ferryman anyway.

Just then, a voice shouted from behind her, "I'm here, and you can't take her away!"

Isabella snapped back to herself and turned around. She was shocked to see Michael running towards them, looking furious.

"What are you waiting for? Get on the boat!" The ferryman's voice turned nasty.

He grabbed Isabella's wrist with his icy hand, making her jump. When she looked back, the ferryman's face had morphed into Bianca's angry face.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Isabella struggled like crazy.

But the ferryman felt as heavy as a statue. Her body kept moving towards the boat.

"Go to hell, Isabella. Once you step on this boat, you're done for," the ferryman cackled.

Suddenly, Isabella felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. She saw Michael kicking Bianca in the face, sending her flying into the river.

After that, Michael grabbed Isabella's shoulders, looking worried. "Isabella, are you okay? She's waking up. Benjamin, hurry up!"

The scene around Isabella changed. The river and boats vanished, replaced by a hospital room.

"What's wrong with me? Are my kidneys still there?" Isabella panicked, trying to touch her incision, but Michael stopped her.

"Don't worry, your kidneys are fine. I got here just in time. They only cut your skin and did some simple stitching," Michael said, trying to calm her down.

Finally, Benjamin walked in, checked her over, and nodded. "Now that she's awake, it's not serious. You can relax. She just needs some quiet time to recover." He winked at Michael and left the room.

It was their time now; no need for anyone else to hang around.

Michael gently touched Isabella's cheek. Her pale face felt cold, and it broke his heart.

"Sorry, looks like the divorce will have to wait," Isabella said, looking at Michael apologetically.

Michael shook his head with a smile. "I don't want a divorce now. Otherwise, I'd have to find another woman to deal with my dad, and that's too much hassle. At least you have good character and looks."

Isabella shook her head. "This time, it's John who's after me. His family's got serious power, not something you can mess with. Divorce is the safest bet for you. I thought they wouldn't go too far, but I was way too naive."

Michael patted her hand, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, I'm not scared. I have a friend whose uncle is a congressman. John won't dare mess with me."

Seeing the determination in Michael's eyes, Isabella felt a warmth spread through her. She smiled. "Thank you. I owe you big time for saving me."

Michael was about to respond when he noticed his subordinate signaling him from outside the room.

"You rest up. I'll be right back." Michael patted her hand again, tucked her in, and stepped out.

"What's up?" Michael asked.

"Mr. Williams, John already knows about Mrs. Williams' marriage at City Hall," the subordinate reported seriously.

Michael narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Got it. Don't worry about him."

The subordinate continued, "And about Bianca. We found her at the hospital. Should we...?"

Bianca had wanted Isabella dead on the operating table, but the sight of blood freaked her out, so she bailed halfway through.

The subordinate made a shooting gesture, and Michael rolled his eyes.

"No need to deal with her. Let Isabella handle her own revenge," Michael said.

The subordinate nodded quickly. "Okay, Mr. Williams. We'll kidnap Bianca and lock her up. When Mrs. Williams recovers, she can take care of Bianca herself."

Michael smacked the back of his subordinate's head. "Don't always jump to thinking about killing!"

The subordinate scratched his head, finally getting that he had misunderstood Michael.

"So, we're really not doing anything?" the subordinate asked.

Michael's eyes narrowed. Doing nothing wasn't his style. He wanted Isabella to get her revenge, but he had to set the stage first.

Michael whispered a few instructions to the subordinate, who nodded and left. Michael then headed back to the room.

Not long after, Isabella, resting in bed, heard Bianca screaming from downstairs. "You can't treat me like this! John won't let you get away with it! This is the Williams Family's hospital! Why are you kicking me out?"

"What's going on?" Isabella struggled to sit up.

Michael had a wheelchair ready. He lifted her from the bed and placed her in it.

He pushed Isabella to the window, and they looked down.

Bianca, dressed in hospital gown, was dumped at the hospital entrance. Despite her screams, no one came to her aid, as onlookers stared at her with indifference.