Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 276

A few moments passed.

Then a man’s cold, deep voice echoed through the grand hall.

“And what if I refuse?”

Victor looked up, his dark eyes glinting with an icy indifference as he cast a chilling glance across the room. That look alone made Deanna feel as if the air itself pressed down on her shoulders.

In that instant, she realized—slowly, but unmistakably—that her grandson was no longer under anyone’s control.

Dorian’s health had long since forced him to step back from the family’s affairs; in reality, he’d been on the sidelines for years. The responsibility to uphold the Fitzgerald family’s order, discipline, and century-old traditions now fell squarely on her shoulders. She would not allow any unexpected variable to threaten the very foundation of the Fitzgerald legacy.

Deanna opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze inadvertently landed on the faint marks on Victor’s neck. Her expression darkened at once.

“Is this about that woman?”

Victor’s eyes snapped up at her words, his gaze cold as frost, fixed and unblinking. “You’ve met her?”

Victor knew Deanna’s character all too well. If she’d brought up Isadora by name, it meant she’d already made moves behind his back. Deanna was a woman steeped in tradition—conservative, proud, stubborn, and the staunchest enforcer of the Fitzgerald family’s rigid rules. She would never permit a woman of questionable background to set foot in their home. That was precisely why Victor had gone out of his way to keep Isadora away from the Fitzgeralds from the very beginning. He had his own plans.

But as Deanna took in his stony expression, her heart sank. She had only mentioned the woman’s name, and already Victor was growing this defiant, this uncontrollable. How could she possibly tolerate such a woman, knowing the chaos she brought?

Deanna’s frown deepened as she snapped, “Victor, I don’t care how you behave out there, but this is different. You can’t get serious with her. Her background, her manners, her breeding—they don’t even hold a candle to Nannie Hayes. At least Nannie was raised with our values from childhood.”

Victor’s lips curled into a defiant, almost arrogant smile. His tone was absolute. “She isn’t the kind of woman you think she is. She’s the woman I love. And I won’t let you, or anyone, hurt her—not even you, Grandmother. Consider that thirty percent your apology to her.”

Deanna’s temples throbbed furiously; a splitting headache seized her. The butler rushed to her side, massaging her temples as she tried to steady herself. She waved him away, regaining her composure. Thank God she had one last card to play—otherwise, her infuriating grandson might just be the death of her.

“Well then, let’s see if she’s truly worthy of your devotion. There’s one more thing I want you to hear.”

Victor frowned as he pressed play.

It was a recording of Deanna’s conversation with Isadora.

Through the harsh static, Isadora’s voice emerged—clear, cold, and undeniable: “I don’t love him.”