Twisted Ties of Love novel Chapter 488

"Navarro, didn't we say hands off?" Izabella heard one of Nolan's men utter, confirming her suspicion that there was a puppet master behind her abduction.

It was clear that Brett was not among her captors. Could it be Nathaniel?

Izabella's suspicions were quickly confirmed. The abandoned factory was eerily quiet, so much so that she could hear the rustling of leaves outside, the sound of a car approaching, and the subsequent rolling of wheels on the concrete floor.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

Nolan rose from his chair, a lit cigarette in his hand. "Our guest has arrived," he said in a hushed tone.

Izabella's hands were still bound behind her. She heard movement behind her and turned her head slightly to see.

A man was being wheeled in. From a distance, his face gradually emerged from the shadows. It was indeed Nathaniel.

She couldn't help but think that she and Nathaniel were star-crossed. Like with Brett, she must have done something terrible to him in a past life. For she had fallen into his clutches three times now.

The first time was when Brett handed her over to him.

The second time, he cornered her, his pleas masking his coercion.

And now, this third time, he had drugged and kidnapped her.

Damn Nathaniel!

Izabella could only regret her earlier leniency. She should have jabbed a needle in Nathaniel's brain when she had the chance, turning him into a drooling idiot and preventing him from causing her more trouble.

As Nathaniel was wheeled closer to Izabella, he seemed to read her thoughts and a smirk played on his lips.

He was visibly thinner, his face pallid. His once fair complexion now resembled aged parchment under the dim light. His hair had grown out, covering his eyelids, and his dull eyes only moved when he looked at someone. His eyes were sunken, his entire demeanor gloomy, making it difficult to meet his gaze.

"Izabella." His voice was raspy, both his physical appearance and mental state had changed. Izabella had always been somewhat afraid of Nathaniel.

No one liked pain, and the sight of him triggered a conditioned response of fear in her heart.

The Nathaniel before her now was even more sinister than before. When he was wheeled in from the darkness, he resembled a demon fresh from the pits of hell, inducing fear out of the blue.

"How does it feel to have broken legs?" Izabella asked, feigning concern as if greeting an old friend.

"Aren't you the best person to answer that?" Nathaniel's smile was laced with malice, reminding Izabella of when she herself had broken legs.

Izabella remained silent, turning her gaze back to Nolan. He and Nathaniel were working together, and the reasons were not hard to figure out.

First, Nolan must have believed that Kaley's death was due to her and Brett. So when Nathaniel approached him with an offer, he readily agreed.

Second, Nathaniel's legs were broken and his assets had been stripped by Brett and Beck. He had abducted Izabella to retaliate against them.

Third, as Nolan had initially stated, they wanted to learn the secret behind Izabella's reincarnation: one for Kaley, the other for Bell.

"Can you untie my hands? They're getting numb. With so many of you, I can't escape anyway."

"Don't worry, we'll untie you soon," said Nathaniel. "I have brought her in."

Nolan grunted in agreement, not daring to object. This was part of the agreement they had made from the start – Nathaniel would provide the finances, Nolan the manpower, and after Izabella was captured, she would be handed over to him.

Izabella was hoisted up and led into one of the rooms in the desolate factory. The flickering lights revealed a room filled with rusty chains on the walls, tangled wires on the floor, and a box in the hands of one of Nathaniel's men.

"Doesn't this remind you of the old dark room? You know, Izabella, I've always cherished the footage of your struggles. It's quite entertaining to watch whenever I'm bored. I close my eyes, and I can still see your agonized face."

Izabella clenched her fists. "Did you kidnap me just to relive the past?"

"No, not to relive," Nathaniel said solemnly. "I would never subject Bell to the same treatment I subjected you."

Perhaps that was the difference between love and hate. It was a shame Nathaniel had realized this too late. Bell was already gone, and his words were nothing more than empty sentiment.

Just like a wilted sunflower can't wait for the tardy sun, watering a dead plant is futile.

"Nathaniel, your words are disgusting. Maybe Bell was thinking of coming back, but hearing this would make her sick."

"Can't you keep your mouth shut?" Nathaniel snapped.

"Isn't a shut mouth still a mouth?" Izabella retorted. She should be stalling for time and protecting herself, but Nathaniel managed to get under her skin, making her feel sorry for Bell.

"Nathaniel, did you love Bell?" Izabella asked, answering herself, "Probably not. Think about it, you drove her to death, you didn't do a single good thing for her. You used her as a placeholder. Threatened her, forced her to do things she didn't like. You hit her, insulted her with the vilest words, and finally, you handed her over to someone else."