Isabella's POV:

"No please tell me he's lying Stacey" I sobbed seeing the same evil glint in her eyes that I did in carter's

"My name's Stacey bell, my mother was murdered when I was 12 and do you know who the murderers were Isabella??" Stacey got closer to me as summer panicked , screaming and crying in the men who held her arms

I took a step back

"My brother's and father." I finished it for her because that part of the story was obvious

My voice was weak and broken.

My whole life.

I was eight!

EIGHT!

when Stacey entered my life and this whole time she'd been plotting against me.

"Correct." She said proudly with a sarcastic smile on her face

She's been behind this.

"You're the reason they forced me to be with carter, aren't you?!" I cried out , tear pouring from my eyes harshly

Carter's hot breath hit my neck.

"Clever girl, I'm also the reason your parents abused you , I paid them to do it , they hated you naturally but they went to extents because of me. I also told them to marry you off to Leonardo because I hoped he'd hurt you too but that didn't go right." She explained her evil plan and it felt like a stab in the back

My heart had been broken into millions of tiny pieces.

"Why?! My brother's and father killed your mother not me! I was innocent I was a child! I was trying my best." I broke down trying to get out of carter's arms

She just smiled at me

I screamed.

I sobbed.

I cried.

Nothing effected her

She was numb to guilt

"She took you that's why she died so it was your fault my dear , obviously carter wasn't actually meant to get obsessed with you but he did and it just made it more brutal, when I found out your new fiancé lived with your brothers and father I was ecstatic to finally reach my final step in making your life a misery." She touched my face as she spoke with a threatening and steady tone

Summer's crys made me feel even worse.

"Because you knew the only way to make me truly miserable was to make me feel guilty that my family were killers , you knew THAT was my worst nightmare." I finished it for her connecting all the pieces of her sick diabolical plan

She smirked at me evily

"Precisely, now I'll kill your best friend, take your family and fiance captive and you'll marry my brother and spend the rest of your life as his little wife for him to torture and my puppet to hurt." She finished off her with her future plans and the moment she mentioned killing summer something went through me

She was not going to hurt anyone.

I kicked her brother in the balls by surprise and sent my elbow full speed at her head the moment he let go off me

She fell over.

I grabbed the gun she dropped and made space between us quickly.

Carter screaming in agony

All men turned Their guns to me

I stood shaking with the gun in my hand , taking it of off safety staring at them with a fierce look

"Don't shoot her you fools I need her alive!" Stacey screamed and that made everything clear to me

I knew no matter what I could get out of here now.

She knew I'd be happier dead

"Point your gun at summer!" Carter directed them making her brother , my brothers , father , fiance and his father scream so that they wouldn't do it

I didn't scream.

I knew what to do

"Put the gun down Isabella or summer dies." Stacey told me as summer stared at me with eyes full of terror

I smiled at her the same way she smiled at me before

She looked so confused

They all did.

I turn the gun to my head

"Shoot her and I shoot myself." I spoke with the most proud smile on my face

"Don't be dumb , you don't want to die." Stacey spoke but me and her both knew I wouldn't mind it

Carter seemed scared to lose me.

He may be evil but I know he needed me

"You and I both know Stacey I'd prefer to be dead than alive right now." I told her walking towards her , my finger playing on the trigger

"Don't do it Isabella!" Carter yelled with a painful look in his eyes

I got closer to summer

"I'll do it you know I will." I said in a bitter tone

"Lower your guns." Stacey called out embarrassed to back down but she had one aim in life to make my life a misery so if I die that's over

She knew that.

"I am stronger than you know Stacey , I do not fear you or your threats because I don't fear death." I tormented her myself keeping the gun to my head

Summer seemed impressed

"Now Stacey maybe it's time you leave." I whispered in her ear from behind her and she sucked in a breath

She didn't move so I put my finger on the trigger tightly

"Okay we're leaving." She spat knowing if she leaved now she could come back and plan something else

That's why she wasn't actually going to leave

Her men , Stacey and carter all begin to leave all their guns lowered but they were all still in view off me And the rest of them as they all run towards me

"Shoot." I made the command and Leonardo turned to me confused

Stacey, her men and carter all spin around confused too but I answered all questions when I send a bullet flying at carter's head

They all quickly catch on and every single man in here along with summer shoot at all of them

None of them got a chance to shoot back because they were all dead before they could reach for their guns.

Tears fell from my eyes as I saw Stacey's and carter's bodies fall to the ground.

I had killed someone

I killed carter

He was dead

They were all dead.

"Oh my god." They were the last words to leave my mouth because after that I fall to the ground

Everything going black.

-------the next morning--------

This bed was so warm

Infact the pillow was.

My eyes slowly opened and the moment they did everything rushed back.

Oh my fucking god!

I jumped up not realising the 'pillow' I was thinking about before was no pillow but instead Leonardo's chest

I looked around and I was surrounded by all of them

Sleeping in chairs.

Or on the bed.

Leonardo seemed to have heard me and moved around in his sleep slowly waking up as my heart pounded aggressively in my chest

I couldn't even put my feelings into words.

I felt overwhelmed, sad, scared , happy , guilty, sick , shocked and relieved all in this moment

"Your awake!" Leonardo raised his voice slightly over the moon to see me awake but I was not ready for this

I had so much to explain

Clearly he was too loud because slowly summer woke up and the rest of them quickly followed after her

Summer looked defeated.

Still in her dress from last night , mascara running down her face and sore looking eyes.

I bet I looked exactly the same though so I couldn't say much

"Isabella." Alexander, my father spoke as I sat with my hand over my mouth not knowing what to say

"I know , I know I have a lot to explain and I will explain but I- I don't know what to do right now , I killed him." I said what I could not knowing what else to say

I couldn't put this into words

It hurt

I killed him , I was relieved beyond words but I felt sick with guilt.

"Izzy. He deserved it and so much more both of them did , she wanted you to suffer. He wanted to... I am so angry and if they were still alive I'd burn the world down to kill them" Leonardo grabbed my hands , comforting me as he sat there with no t-shirt on

Damn.

"Stacey all along Stacey was behind that?! How- how did she get that past us?? We told her everything, she was the only one we trusted, why-" summer cried looking at me with eyes full of tears

This whole time.

We had been fooled by her are entire life.

"That's why I went looking that night on the laptop because when I was like 14 I think some mail came in and on the letter was the name 'stacey bell' , Stacey quickly took the paper off me and that was the only time she looked annoyed at me. I just thought I was overthinking it though" I explained to summer , how this happened was beyond me because now it all made sense

I had to explain it

Everything.

I had to tell them and I'd have to deal with the judgement, the anger and sadness because it was too late to hide it now

So I stand up and I walk out the room , like I knew they would each one of them followed behind me

I see Thomas and Riley

"Are you both okay?" I asked them quickly because I was worried they were hurt for a second but Thomas's usually almost non-exsitent smile reassured me they were okay

"We're okay Isabella" Riley told me with his usual charming grin , he was like a golden retriever.

They were okay

None of them got hurt , thank god.

I nodded with a small smile

I was still in my large dress.

I get outside the dining room and I turn around , stopping all of them in their tracks as they followed me closely

"I'll answer anything but first I'm going to get cleaned up , wait in here I won't be long." I directed them all and Ace gave me a suspicious look

"You'll answer anything?" Jakob asked me and I sighed with a nervous look on my face but I nodded slowly

Summer gave me a questioning look

I just nodded my head letting her know I was ready to share this.

She knew this was going to be hard but it had to be done , I owed them nothing but I owed myself this

I had to face my trauma's , I had to find comfort in someone other then summer

"I'm going to get cleaned up too" summer said looking down realising she was also still in her ball gown

The men hesitated but eventually they nodded

Not that I need their permission.

---------

Chapter 25 completed!!!

Hope you all absolutely love the chapter as much as I loved writing it 🫶🏼