“Victoria? Is that you?”

Isabella’s chest tightened at the sound of Victoria’s tear-choked voice on the other end of the line. “Isabella… It’s all ruined…”

“Victoria, what’s wrong? Take a deep breath and tell me what happened,” Isabella urged, her voice laced with immediate concern.

“The Whispering Blooms collection… It’s destroyed… What are we going to do?” Victoria sobbed, her words barely intelligible.

“Destroyed? How could that happen?”

Victoria’s crying intensified. “I was at Silverwood Estate… I ran into someone from Blackwood Enterprises… He was also delivering pieces… And then…”

Isabella struggled to keep her own voice steady.

“Calm down, Victoria. Tell me exactly what the Blackwood employee did.”

“He shoved me… The case fell… Everything shattered… Isabella, it’s all gone…”

A cold dread washed over Isabella.

This had to be Sophia’s doing.

It was no accident.

“Victoria, tell me where you are right now. Don’t move. I’m coming to you.”

“I’m still at Silverwood Estate…”

“Stay there. I’m on my way.”

Ending the call, Isabella knelt to meet Liam’s worried gaze, forcing a reassuring smile. “Sweetheart, Mommy has to handle an emergency. We need to make a quick stop, okay?”

Liam nodded quietly. “Okay, Mommy.”

Isabella drove with urgent purpose toward Silverwood Estate. The Whispering Blooms collection was meant to be the crowning glory of the upcoming Starlight Gala, representing months of her team’s relentless effort. Now it lay in pieces. This sabotage reeked of Blackwood Enterprises’ interference.

Her jaw tightened with resolve. She would not let them win.

She found Victoria waiting by the grand entrance, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Isabella rushed to her, pulling her into a firm, comforting embrace. “I’m here now. It’s going to be okay.”

Victoria looked up, her face streaked with tears. “Isabella, what do we do?”

The sight of her colleague’s despair twisted Isabella’s heart.

“Show me.”

Victoria led her to the scene of the disaster. The beautiful gemstones lay scattered across the marble floor like forgotten tears. The magnificent Whispering Blooms collection was now a heartbreaking mosaic of broken dreams.

A sharp pang of loss shot through Isabella. “Where is he? The man from Blackwood?”

“Over there,” Victoria whispered, pointing toward a figure in a tailored suit.

Isabella turned, her eyes narrowing. The man stood with his back to them, engaged in a phone call. There was something unsettlingly familiar about his posture, his build.

She took a step closer, her heart pounding.