Twisted Ties of Love

Chapter 368

There's still half a month before the filming of "Blood Ties" kicked off. During this time, Izabella had been brushing up on her lines while hunting for a new pad.

"Blood Ties" was set to roll cameras in R City. Izabella had gotten used to life in R City, so she went ahead and bought a house there. The house needed a good chunk of time for renovation—at least a year—before it's liveable.

Izabella rented a two-bedroom place in R City; it's spacious and perfect for a cat. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Having money sure made life easier. With a packed schedule, Izabella hired people online to help her house hunt. The moving company showed up at the apartment and had everything packed up in no time.

By the time the rented place in R City was spick and span, Izabella moved straight in with Nikki.

In the blink of an eye, a week passed and the first episode of "Here Comes the Superstars" aired, and it was a smash hit.

Thanks to Ariana, Izabella, and Harper constantly trending over the past two weeks, a bunch of curious viewers tuned in to see what all the fuss was about.

At the same time, a lot of people were eager to see if Izabella's acting chops were up to scratch.

Izabella was an early bird when it came to dinner; she's done by seven, and after a stroll around the neighborhood with Nikki, it's exactly eight when she got back.

In her new home, she’s got a massive couch, which she and Nikki love to lounge on. The leather was soft, and it's comfy enough to double as a bed.

Izabella flipped on the TV and cuddled up with Nikki to watch the show.

Mr. Kane was definitely an ace director; his editing was super engaging, and the way he controled the camera, magnifying the artists' subtle expressions, made it easy to get lost in the drama.

Watching herself on TV, Izabella touched her face; it was kind of weird but not off-putting—a pretty novel feeling.

Izabella's face was, just like the director said, born for the camera.

With over 60 artists on set, the camera paned quickly, but the first face that grabbed attention was definitely Izabella.

Some people were just born to lead.

Izabella rarely watched reality shows.

As Izabella watched the show, she was also scrolling through her phone. The trending topics tonight were dominated by "Here Comes the Superstars", so all she was seeing was news about herself.

"About Izabella's acting in 'Here Comes the Superstars'."

The title caught Izabella's eye; she clicked on the post, and it was full of jeers.

"I like quite a few actors in this show. But Izabella really bugs me."

"Izabella's acting was trending a couple of weeks ago, so embarrassing. Is this what good acting is now?"

"She sat in the corner, didn't interact with anyone, didn't say hi. Totally rude."

"Even if Izabella was wrongly accused last time, why didn't Harper and Ariana turn on someone else? No matter how good Izabella's acting is, it can't wash away her whore label. We should stop liking her."

"Ariana and Harper are trash."

"Izabella's face is drop-dead gorgeous. Makeup is a waste on her."

"I just want to see if Izabella tries to seduce Casey. If she so much as glances at him, I curse her to go blind."

"It's really weird; they're making fun of Izabella before she even performs; aren't they afraid of eating their words, like Ariana did?"

"Whoever called her a whore, your manners must have been eaten by a dog. No, not even a dog would eat that; more like flies."

"How did so many Izabella fans get in here?"

"Do you guys really think Izabella has no fans left? Do you have any evidence that Izabella is a whore?"

"Izabella admitted it and apologized."

Izabella didn't care about the public eye; what did these people's opinions have to do with her?

That's what she thought until a few days ago. She didn't do things she's not sure about; she preferred to plan everything out and take it step by step.

Clearing her name was a priority, but it’s not the thing she's most eager to do right now.

But when she saw people defending her in the comments, she felt a pang in her heart—not for herself but for these kind-hearted people.

They've never met her, but they trusted her so deeply; how could she let them down?

The show hit its climax when Izabella took the stage.

On-stage special effects, lighting, Izabella's clear and fluent lines, her calm response to Harper's impromptu line changed, clutching her chest, holding the gun, and falling to the ground as the lights on stage slowly went out.

This night was destined to leave many people restless. Izabella's performance was beyond reproach; it was the epitome of perfect acting, the kind that could be written into textbooks.

Regular viewers watched Izabella's performance over and over again.

Initially, Izabella had fans they affectionately called her "Bella", and argued with haters on her behalf, vowing to support her forever.

But a series of negative news stories led to fans leaving her one after another.

Some silent observers also blocked her because of her negative image in recent years.

But tonight, these fans came back. They sat in front of the TV, covering their faces, their hands wet, screaming in silence.

The Izabella they'd always wanted to see was back.

Izabella's fans were over the moon.

"Bella, welcome back."

"Bella, conquer everyone with your acting."

"Why do you look down on Izabella? Do you have a face as beautiful as hers? Do you have a body as good as hers? Do you have acting skills as strong as hers? If not, then shut up."

"Have Izabella's fans gone crazy?"

That night, besides the fans constantly rewatching the video, Brett from Flower Garden, Nathaniel from Quiet Forest Estates, and Casey from R City's Fountain Bay all watched Izabella's stage performance over and over again.

Nathaniel from Quiet Forest Estates usually couldn't give a rat's ass about reality TV shows. If it weren't for his servants casually mentioning the name "Izabella", he would've completely forgotten about Bell Salotti.

To him, Bell Salotti was as important as a used napkin. She was just a stand-in, discarded like trash, out of sight, out of mind.

His only interest in Bell Salotti was to use her. He was initially interested in her simply because she looked like Izabella.

With a bit of scheming, he got a talent agency to sign her on, bringing her into his sphere. All to create the perfect stand-in. He tried to be good to her as much as possible, even getting her professional tutors to teach her violin.

Bell Salotti was incredibly obedient; her personality was a far cry from Izabella's, with a bit more timidity. Perhaps because of her upbringing, she lacked confidence. When she faced problems, she wouldn't try to solve them or seek help; she'd just hide under her covers and sob quietly.

During her violin lessons, she cried the most; her eyes were puffy and red almost every day, her fingertips were bleeding from the strings, and even her nails split, but she persevered.

Nathaniel was naturally cruel; he enjoyed tormenting people for kicks, but for some reason, he didn't have the heart to torment Bell Salotti. Probably because she was too weak, watching her suffer didn't give him any satisfaction.

After giving it some thought, Izabella was still the better choice; he loved nothing more than bringing a proud person to their knees.

Izabella's death was indeed a pity. If only she had chosen to be with him instead of leaving this world.

That way, she could've seen how miserable Brett had been these past three years.

What a pity—such a pity.

No matter how perfect a stand-in was, they're still just a stand-in. Nathaniel thought he had completely forgotten about Bell Salotti, but when the servant mentioned her name, he felt a slight flutter in his heart.

He turned on the TV.

Looking at her face, he suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. Bell Salotti was with him for a year; during that time, he saw her face every day, and he even knew about the mole behind her ear.

Nathaniel always thought he knew Bell Salotti well, but when he saw the woman on TV, he couldn't find a trace of her.

It's been a year since Bell Salotti left him.

In his memory, Bell Salotti wasn't supposed to be this dazzling. She was like a speck of dust in the darkness, easily swept away by the wind. Despite having a pretty face, she always kept her head down. Even when sleeping, she liked to curl up in the corner, looking insecure.

If he had to list her good points, besides being good-looking, her only merit was probably her diligence. With her around, he didn't even need servants.

She was a quick learner; within three days, she knew his daily routine, his likes, and his tastes. She would try her best to cook every meal for him.

Honestly, no one had ever taken care of him so comfortably.

Imagine waking up in the morning to a warm bath ready, toothpaste already squeezed out when brushing teeth, and even the towel within his reach. He didn't have to lift a finger in his daily life.

Sometimes Nathaniel thought if he didn't let Bell Salotti be a stand-in, she'd make a pretty good servant.

The turning point came when Bell Salotti was cleaning his room and stumbled upon a video of Izabella being tormented by him.

She was scared out of her wits, locking herself in her room for an entire night. In the end, Nathaniel had to pry the door open.

As soon as he kicked open the door, he saw the blanket on the sofa quivering, as if he could see the figure curled up inside. He pulled back the blanket, revealing Bell Salotti's swollen eyes; clearly, she was afraid of him.

"What are you scared of?" he asked.

Tears flowed from Bell Salotti's eyes. She wanted to look away but didn't dare; her forehead was covered in cold sweat.