Chapter 65

On a sunny and pleasant afternoon, in the tranquil estate bathed in sunlight, a young man sat in a chair under the shade of a tree, occasionally teasing the infant in his arms, who was just a few months old.

The child happily waved his arms, full of energy and mischief. When he was picked up, he even slapped the young man's face repeatedly, as if playing with a ball.

Another young woman sat in the chair opposite, sipping her tea from time to time with a smile, watching them—more accurately, watching her child. As for the young man, whenever his gaze met hers, it immediately turned cold and disdainful, though it also concealed a hint of complexity.

Finally, as the little one began to yawn and his beautiful eyes started to close, the young man reluctantly handed the child over to the nanny. Only then did the matter between him and the young woman begin.

"Where is Bruno Nuyten?" Li Xu asked casually, taking a sip of his tea.

"He went on a trip," Isabelle replied just as casually, her eyes looking into the distance. "After you had someone tell him that Annabelle wasn't his child."

"Anyway, you two often argue," Li Xu shrugged.

"That's none of your business!" Isabelle's tone became more intense.

"Indeed, as long as you don't involve my daughter," Li Xu continued to shrug.

Isabelle bit her lip: "What about my parents? You made them owe so much debt that even the police won't intervene!"

"If you had been willing to talk to me properly back then, none of this would have happened," Li Xu's tone turned cold.

Isabelle glared at him, and after a moment, she said, "What do you really want?!"

"Annabelle is my daughter, so I have the right to take care of her, look after her, raise her, and take her home," Li Xu said.

"Anna is my daughter!" Isabelle immediately raised her voice.

"I never said you weren't her mother, and I never said you can't take care of her," Li Xu raised an eyebrow. "Isa, when I met you, you weren't this impulsive."

A look of surprise flashed across her beautiful face, and then Isabelle pursed her lips and remained silent.

"The villa here wasn't originally this big," Li Xu suddenly changed the subject, looking around at the vegetation. "When my grandfather bought it in 1935, it was only about 700 square meters. It was confiscated by the Germans during World War II, and after the war, it was redeemed. Over the next few decades, it gradually expanded to its current size of over 4,000 square meters."

"What are you trying to say?" Isabelle asked, frowning.

Li Xu didn't answer: "This place has become our family's settlement in Paris, and it embodies my grandfather's efforts. He won't let anyone take it away."

"Edward!" Isabelle's frown deepened.

"When we first met, I didn't mention my family, and I guess you don't want to or care to know now," Li Xu sighed. "But if I want to take Annabelle away, my family has enough means to make you submit. I can guarantee that your friends in the French entertainment industry won't be much help to you."

Isabelle bit her lip, her blue eyes filled with anger.

"I don't want it to come to this, which is why I want to talk to you about Annabelle's future. But you have no interest, so I have to use some means to force you to sit down and talk." Li Xu spread his hands. "Don't worry, once we reach an agreement, your parents' debts will be forgiven."

"Tell me your terms," Isabelle took a deep breath.

But Li Xu closed his mouth and said nothing, just staring at her, his gaze burning even though she remained cold.

"Originally," Li Xu finally spoke again, "on the way here, I had already thought of the terms, but now, I've changed my mind."

Isabelle was immediately startled: "What do you really want?"

Li Xu still didn't answer directly but instead had a nostalgic look: "Two years ago, I finally got the chance to travel alone, so I went to Provence. There, I met a beautiful girl, ethereal, playful, enchanting, and melancholic. I don't think any beautiful adjective would be too much for her."

Isabelle opened her mouth several times, wanting to interrupt, but couldn't say anything.

"She was also out to clear her mind, as she had just had an argument with her live-in boyfriend," Li Xu continued, his gaze looking into the distance, as if it had landed on the lavender fields of Provence. "We had a small misunderstanding at first, but it was quickly resolved, and we began to tour Provence together, with her as my guide."

At this point, a smile appeared on his lips, as if he was very happy in his memories, and Isabelle fell silent.

"We talked about many topics, art, literature, history, and so on, and we were intimately entwined countless times. Those were the happiest days of my life," Li Xu sighed. "But we had to part ways eventually. After returning to Paris, we spent a passionate day together at the Ritz Hotel, and she finally left. I couldn't make any promises to her, as I was born into a family and had to marry the girl chosen by the family. After that, I locked away the sketches I drew of her, the photos I took, and her contact information in the bottom of a box, never to look at them again, never to inquire about her, and never to watch her movies."

Isabelle's eyelids drooped, and she turned her head to the side, but even so, her profile was stunningly beautiful.

"Time is the best medicine, and no matter how much I missed her, the memories gradually faded," Li Xu looked at Isabelle with that burning gaze again. "However, one day, I was suddenly told that I had a daughter with her, a daughter who was already 11 months old. I can't describe how I felt. I finally dug out the phone and called her. I wanted to start with a greeting, but I couldn't control myself, and it turned into an argument."

His voice became low, but his gaze never wavered: "I had to ask my family to use some means to bring her here to talk properly. At first, I just wanted my daughter, but now... I want more."

As he said the last sentence, Li Xu's voice was particularly firm, and Isabelle was startled, turning her head sharply to look at him in disbelief.

Li Xu said nothing, crossing his arms and staring at her intently.

"You..." Isabelle's throat moved, and she finally managed to say, "You can't have it!"

"No matter what you do, I won't submit!" she said through gritted teeth.

"That's fine, although we haven't known each other long, I know you have a stubborn personality, so..." Li Xu stood up, hands on the round table, looking down at her from above. "I won't do anything to you, but first, Annabelle will come back to me. Then, I will pressure the people around you. Any man who tries to get close to you will be dealt with, by any means necessary, even the kind that made Polanski flee to France."

"You!" Isabelle's blue eyes widened.

"And your parents," Li Xu continued without pause. "They can pay off their debts slowly, and I won't pressure them for too long. But if you use Annabelle to pressure me, or if you try to hurt yourself to pressure me, I will take it out on them, including your brother!"

"Scumbag!" Isabelle stood up abruptly.

But Li Xu grabbed her shoulder, still looking down at her with a domineering gaze: "I mean what I say, Isa. I want you, and I don't care what it costs. I don't even care if we both end up destroyed!"

Isabelle was truly frightened, though she often played crazy roles in movies, it didn't mean she was the same in real life.

Although Li Xu's face was expressionless, the fervor in his tone was obvious, and his voice came through his clenched teeth.

More importantly, she had experienced his methods firsthand. Her parents' business failure and subsequent debt seemed so seamless, as if it was a spontaneous act.

The creditors and some gray forces were known to be connected from the beginning, and the police couldn't do anything. She had sought help from a few friends, but they all said the legal procedures were almost flawless.

If it weren't for Bruno Nuyten questioning her about why Annabelle wasn't his child and providing evidence, she wouldn't have suspected Li Xu.

So, if he really carried out these threats, she would have no way to resist, and the momentum she had maintained with great effort began to waver.

From the moment she entered the estate, Isabelle had tried to maintain a strong presence. She was smart, and her parents' situation had already put her at a disadvantage. If she couldn't maintain some strength, she would be at the mercy of the other party.

However, from the beginning, Li Xu used the opportunity to get close to his daughter to isolate her, wearing down her momentum. Then, he used his memories to shake her will, making her heart soften unconsciously, further weakening her momentum.

Thus, when he suddenly revealed his cards and cornered her, she couldn't muster her strength and became extremely passive.

Despite her intense anger, her beautiful eyes almost seemed to be on fire, and her fists were clenched. She had already mentally slapped the man in front of her countless times, but she couldn't do anything.

Even after he said, "I don't care if we both end up destroyed," she felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

Then, Li Xu released her, turned around, and pressed his forehead, his tense body trembling slightly. After taking a deep breath, he turned back and said firmly, "I'll give you two weeks to consider. During this time, you will stay with me, and you will take Annabelle to meet my parents and my grandfather!"

Without giving Isabelle a chance to speak, he strode towards the house, leaving her slender figure standing stubbornly in the garden for a long time.