After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen
Secret Wedding 221

Chapter 221 Isabel and Richie's Fight

Isabel's reflexes were sharp. She swiftly dodged the attack while grabbing her opponent's arm and aiming a kick at his lower body.

Her opponent was just as quick. His free hand shot out and grabbed Isabel's leg.

The man's grip was strong, nearly preventing Isabel from pulling her leg back.

She stumbled back two steps after freeing herself and steadied her stance. This time, she didn't rush to attack. Instead, she put some distance between them and caught sight of a figure standing by the window. She couldn't make out the person's features under the moonlight's hazy glow.

However, the silhouette resembled the one she'd seen in the photos on Xander's phone.

It also looked like...

Like him.

"Who are you?" The man's deliberately low voice cut through the tension.

Isabel's sharp gaze roved over him, studying him closely.

"Who are you?" she countered, lowering her voice as well.

The atmosphere grew taut, like a bowstring ready to snap.

After a moment of silence, the man spoke again, "Are you an enemy of the Nelsons?"

His question mirrored Isabel's thoughts. It was something Xander had also been investigating-was this man part of the Nelsons or their enemy?

After a brief pause, Isabel decided to test him. "What if I am?"

The moment the words left her mouth, the man's voice, brimming with murderous intent, rang out.

"Then you'll die."

As his words fell, his hand turned into a fist, aiming straight for Isabel's chest.

Isabel raised her palms, catching his punch mid-air.

But then the man's fist shifted into a claw, veering toward her neck with the intent to strangle her.

Isabel reacted quickly, leaping backward.

As she retreated, the man advanced. His long stride allowed him to grab her shirt.

Her pupils dilated as she stumbled back several more steps.

Rip! Her collar was pulled open.

After several exchanges, their positions shifted, leaving Isabel standing by the window.

She glanced down at her neck. Luckily, only an inch below her collarbone was exposed.

Just as she felt a small wave of relief, the man's voice, now tinged with excitement, startled her.

"The emerald guardian angel pendant? Why do you have it?"

Did he recognize the pendant?

From his earlier words, if I were an enemy of the Nelsons, he'd kill me. So, he must be one of them? Before Isabel could ask, a noise came from the doorway.

"Someone broke in!"

Sh*t!

We had been discovered!

The commotion earlier must've drawn attention.

Isabel scanned the room, searching for a hiding spot. Then, her eyes landed on the couch.

A memory flashed through her mind. It was Leslie and some other children playing hide-and-seek in the living room. Leslie had pressed a hidden button on the side of the couch, causing it to shift and reveal a secret compartment. Isabel wasn't sure how she knew this, but there was no time to dwell on it. She had to hide.

Without hesitation, she rushed toward the couch.

To her surprise, the man followed.

Did he know about this spot too?

The sound of a door opening came from outside.

There was no time to waste. Isabel quickly pressed the hidden button on the couch. It shifted, revealing a secret compartment below.

It was exactly like the scene in her mind.

Isabel didn't notice the shock on the man's face.

She jumped into the compartment and looked up, gesturing to him. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"

"Richard! What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"

Her words seemed to jolt him. Leslie had said the same thing to him once.

When they were younger, several kids played a game of hide-and-seek in their house. Just like the woman earlier, Leslie had pressed the hidden button on the sofa, causing it to slide away, and led him to hide inside the secret compartment. Click! The door outside began to open!

The man snapped out of his thoughts and jumped into the compartment just before the couch slid back into place.

The door opened, and bright lights flooded the room as a dozen uniformed guards stormed in.

Isabel crouched in the darkness of the hidden space, listening intently to the commotion outside.

Richie wasn't paying attention to the noise above. His focus was entirely on Isabel.

The compartment was pitch black, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

Who is she?

She had the emerald guardian angel pendant and knew about this hidden spot.

Who is she?

Could she be

No, impossible!

Leslie was dead, lost in that devastating fire.

Above, the guards moved swiftly, their footsteps echoing.

Thud, thud, thud! Footsteps echoed as the Bennetts' bodyguards scurried up and down the stairs.

"Search over there and check that side too-don't miss a single spot!" A commanding voice called out, one Isabel immediately recognized as Leo's.

If Leo is here, Xander-

"Boss," Leo suddenly called out.

Isabel froze the moment she heard that.

"Have you found them?" Xander's deep, unmistakable voice cut through the room.

He's here!

Isabel's heart began pounding wildly.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

It grew louder and faster with each beat.

Richie, being so close, couldn't ignore it.

Why is she so nervous?

She hadn't been this way earlier. Is it because of Xander?

The darkness of the hidden space obscured her expression, leaving Richie to rely on guesses.

"Still searching," Leo replied.

"What's the situation?" Xander asked as he sat down on the sofa directly above them.

Isabel pressed her lips tightly together, her hands gripping the fabric of a jacket.

Richie glanced down and it turned out that she was gripping his clothing.

Then he looked back up, narrowing his eyes.

So she was nervous because of Xander?

Why? Did she know him?

"Boss, two people broke in earlier," Leo reported.

"Two?" Xander sounded puzzled.

Isabel's head throbbed.

You've got to be kidding me. Did someone spot me when I came in?

Back in her prime, she'd never been caught, no matter how difficult the mission.

Could my current body be much weaker than the previous one? Still, my skills and experience should've been enough. Or could it be-

Isabel instinctively touched her abdomen.

Since she was pregnant, her movements had been slower.

Now that she thought about it, she had indeed taken extra care during her actions earlier, deliberately slowing herself down to avoid straining her body.

"Yes, two people," Leo confirmed. "One entered through one window, and the other came in shortly after through a different one."

Xander stroked his chin while

analyzing the situation. Based on the

shadow captured earlier, he

suspected the first intruder could be

Richard, but it was also possible they were enemies of the Netsons.

Now there was a second person...

"Was the second intruder male or female?" Xander asked.

Leo shook his head. "They were

covered up completely, so it was impossible to tell. As per your instructions, we didn't act recklessly and only observed from the

shadows. Later, the two of them started fighting, and that's when you arrived."

"They fought?" Xander mused. "So they don't know each other?"

This led him to speculate further. Could the first person be Richard and the second an enemy of the Nelsons who had been lying in wait to finish the job after suspecting Richard might return?

His eyes narrowed as he considered the possibility.

"Still haven't found them?" Xander asked, looking upstairs.

"Not yet," the bodyguards responded.

Strange. Where could they have gone?

As Isabel's nerves reached their breaking point, an itch suddenly tickled her nose.

Oh no! She felt a sneeze coming on!

"Aah-"