The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 130

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 130: Bitter Envy**

Isabella’s mood was as dark as a stormy sky, the kind that promised rain but instead unleashed a torrent of frustration. The morning paper had arrived, accompanied by her usual assortment of glossy magazines and sensational gossip columns, a ritual she typically relished. For Isabella, diving into the latest fashion trends and celebrity scandals was a delightful escape, a small luxury that brought her solace amidst the chaos of her life.

But today, as she gingerly sifted through the pile, her anticipation quickly soured into dismay. The covers of the magazines screamed at her with images of Alexander and Evelyn, their faces plastered across nearly every page in a grotesque celebration of their lives. Isabella’s brow furrowed in disbelief; she couldn’t comprehend why anyone would find Evelyn worthy of such attention.

Her husband, the man who had recently returned to his wheelchair, was a part of this twisted spectacle. How utterly fascinating, she thought bitterly. Perhaps it was the stylish ensemble Evelyn had chosen that day that had caught the photographers’ eyes. But as she moved past her initial annoyance and began to read the headlines, her disbelief morphed into a deep, gnawing anxiety.

“What the actual hell?!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the empty room. The words on the page seemed to mock her. How could it be true that Alexander and Evelyn had orchestrated Michael’s imprisonment? Michael, Caroline’s son, sentenced to life behind bars? It was unfathomable.

Isabella’s heart raced as she skimmed through the first few sentences of the article, desperate to grasp the full extent of the situation. Why had this happened? What charges had been leveled against him? Memories of that chaotic night invaded her thoughts, each one more frantic than the last.

Could it be that something had transpired between Michael and Evelyn, and Alexander had resorted to this drastic measure to handle the fallout? The idea sent her heart racing, a visceral fear clawing at her insides. If Alexander could treat his own brother with such cruelty, what was to stop him from turning his wrath toward her? After all, she was the one who had slipped Evelyn the aphrodisiac, the catalyst for all this chaos. Was this Alexander’s way of settling the score?

Isabella’s eyes darted back to the articles, her mind racing for any hints that might connect her to this unfolding disaster. Yet, to her shock, she stumbled upon something far more alarming. One journalist had included a direct quote from Alexander himself.

“Michael Kingston is and has been a threat to the general public ever since he tried to have me assassinated several months ago.”

An assassination attempt? The words sent a jolt of icy fear coursing through her veins, a wave of nausea pooling in her stomach. She couldn’t help but draw parallels between her own precarious situation and this shocking revelation. If it were true that Michael had sought to harm Alexander, then her own actions—trying to eliminate Edward, or at least ensuring he never emerged from his coma—didn’t seem so different after all.

Anxiety twisted in her gut, tightening its grip.

Evelyn was many things in Isabella’s eyes—irritating, eccentric, woefully out of touch with fashion, unpredictable—but one thing she could not deny was that Evelyn was far from foolish. The moment Evelyn sensed her brother’s health was in jeopardy, she had undoubtedly begun working to reverse the effects of Isabella’s toxic interference.

Isabella’s heart raced at the thought. Evelyn likely knew she was behind the entire scheme. The fear of facing a courtroom, of being exposed and possibly imprisoned, gnawed at Isabella relentlessly. The guards stationed around Edward’s room had thwarted any plans she had to finish what she started. Soon enough, the toxins would be out of his system, and the Silverwood Alpha would be on the road to recovery. The very thought made Isabella’s blood boil with a bitter resentment.

The only thing that offered her a sliver of comfort was the fact that Evelyn had no concrete evidence against her. But that did not guarantee that the clever girl wouldn’t find another way to ensnare her. Isabella couldn’t afford to let that happen.

Suddenly, a shrill and whiny voice pierced through her thoughts. “Mother?! Mother, where are you?!”

Isabella clenched her jaw, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. Samantha burst into the dining room, brandishing her own copy of the latest gossip columns, her expression mirroring Isabella’s own fury.

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