CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN - The Price of the Inheritance

Isabella's smile turned predatory. "Did he? Or did he just settle for the safe option? Face it, Ella. You'll never be able to match what Lucas and I had. The passion, the excitement... You're just... boring." Something inside Ella snapped. All the insecurity, all the doubt that had been building since Isabella's arrival, crystalized into a fierce determination. "You're wrong," Ella said, her voice low and intense. "You might think you know Lucas, but you don't. Not anymore. The man he is now, the life we've built together - that's real. And I'm not going to let you destroy it with your manipulations and your outdated fantasies." Isabella's eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Ella's vehemence. Ella continued, her voice gaining strength. "You want to know what Lucas desires? A partner. Someone who supports him, challenges him, and loves him for who he is, not who you want him to be. And that person is me." She stepped closer to Isabella, her eyes blazing. "So let me make this perfe