Blackmailing His Runaway Bride by Dance-is-me (carter reed .txt) 📗

"Image? Look around Mother, there are certainly no cameras here. No one here cares if I have several billion dollars in assets neither do they care if I am being reckless."

Isabella could sense that his mother was not ready to back down. Mrs. Oxford wasn't the type to back down and the woman proved Isabella's point as the tone of her voice toughened when she said, " Charles, you can never. You can never know who is watching. As someone who runs a lot of..."

Charles held a hand up. "That's enough, Mother." A tired sigh followed, his shoulders almost slumping. "Honestly, I am tired of you being so concerned about keeping a nice image and all that bullshit."

"Don't use that kind of word with me, boy," she almost growled, her forehead creasing. "I am still your mother."

"Then act like you are my mother. Stop being so against my decisions. If they make you ache so much, stay out of my business. Please, I beg you." Isabella felt more terrible as she saw how hard Charles was trying to suppress his anger.

Weak laughter came from Mrs. Oxford who couldn't stop tapping her platform heels against the floor. Her eyes which were traveling to and fro landed on Isabella and she said, "You are doing something."

Isabella had the impression that the woman had nothing to say to her after the last meeting they had. But it seemed she was wrong. 

Her brows twitching as she wondered what Mrs. Oxford had to say, Isabella's tender voice asked, "Excuse me?"

Mrs. Oxford made two of her fingers dance in Isabella's direction. "I don't know what it is, but you are doing something to my son. Because I know my Charles is sensible enough to know that a married woman is a no-go area."

His arm stretching in front of Isabella, Charles stepped forward and said, "Mother, you should stop trying like you know everything. There is a story behind my wanting of Isabella and Isabella alone. And I won't bother to tell you. I don't expect you to understand."

"I don't care. All I know is I won't let you ruin your life this way."

"Stop being stubborn, Mother. I am at a stage of my life where I can tell what is good for me and what's not. If you can't respect that, can you at least stay out of the decisions I make? Huh?"

Breathing a bit too hard at this point, Charles reached for Isabella's hand and without uttering a word more, he began to lead her away from that place that reeked of his mother's toxic concerns.

Isabella and Charles had walked a little distance when his mother yelled, "Charles, I won't let you marry her even if it's just for show."

Isabella could not ignore Charles's long sigh as he halted his steps. Not turning to take a look at his mother, he said, "I think you are mistaken, Mother. I am not marrying Isabella for show. My reasons for being with her are genuine."

Isabella looked back to see Mrs. Oxford's reaction. She was frowning deeply. "What do you mean by that?" the older woman requested loudly. 

"Good day, Mother," Charles gave a simple reply. Then, after ensuring that Isabella's hand was still in his, he began to walk, his strides majestic as always.