Eleanor Sullivan's cane came down hard on Isabella Valentine's back.

Isabella gasped in pain.

She covered her head and scrambled away. "Grandma, stop! How is this my fault? Blame Mom instead!"

Eleanor ignored her.

She grabbed Isabella by the hair, her nails leaving bloody scratches on the girl's face.

The security guard couldn't bear to watch and rushed over to intervene.

The driver also hurried inside.

It took both men to pull the furious old woman away.

Eleanor's chest heaved violently, her face dark with rage.

Isabella was in worse shape.

Clumps of her hair had been torn out, her face was crisscrossed with scratches, and her arms were covered in bruises.

Seeing her granddaughter's pitiful state, Eleanor's anger cooled slightly.

But then she remembered—this illegitimate child had deceived her for over twenty years!

She turned on her heel and stormed out.

The moment she stepped outside the hospital, Eleanor called Theodore Valentine.

"Where is that wretched Victoria Windsor?"

Theodore evaded the question. "Don't concern yourself with this."

"If you don't tell me, I'll make a scene at your office!"

With no choice, Theodore gave her the address to Honey Court Apartment.

Isabella, hiding nearby, overheard everything.

She secretly followed Eleanor to the apartment.

The building was an old, dilapidated mansion in disrepair.

As soon as Eleanor entered, she heard obscene noises coming from the bedroom.

She kicked the door open.

Victoria and Hammer Ulrich hastily separated.

Eleanor swung her cane at them.

Hammer dodged while shouting, "Your son locked us in here!"

Isabella seized the chance to slip inside.

The sight made her tremble with fury.

"Mom! Have you no shame?"

Victoria cowered under the bed, not daring to make a sound.

Isabella screamed hysterically, "Why don't you just die? If you were gone, Dad might forgive me!"

Her words stunned everyone.

Eleanor turned and left without another word.

Only after the footsteps faded did Victoria crawl out.

She pulled Isabella close and whispered, "I'm only alive to find out who ruined us."

A sudden thought struck Isabella.

"What if Sophia isn't Dad's daughter either?"

Victoria's eyes flickered. "She looks like Evelyn Grandelle..."

Isabella immediately stood up. "I'm going to test her DNA!"

Early the next morning,

Isabella lurked outside Phoenix Cove.

She watched as Sophia Laurent and Ethan Sullivan got into their car, affectionate as always.

Silently, she followed them.