All Will Come to Pass

Chapter 1

"Ms. Sandoval, you've successfully purchased the deserted island. It's completely isolated from the rest of the world. Once you step in, no one will be able to find you.

"Also, the customized family service you requested is all set. The staff have been professionally trained to provide you with unconditional love." The staff's respectful voice came through the phone.

Norah Sandoval hummed in response. "I'll move in after 30 days once I wrap things up here."

When the call ended, Norah glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a pure white wedding dress, studded with countless large diamonds. It was clear that the dress held extraordinary value.

"Are you done, Ms. Sandoval? Mr. Emerson has been waiting outside to see it." The soft voice of the salesperson snapped her back to the present.

After a pause, Norah replied, "I'm done."

Upon hearing that, the salesperson drew the curtain back.

Norah turned at just the right moment and locked eyes with her fiancé, Antonio Emerson, who had been waiting outside. As their gazes met, she clearly saw a flash of admiration in his eyes.

"Norah, you look beautiful." He froze for a moment, then stepped forward to pull her into a tight embrace. His voice cracked with emotion. "It's been seven years. I'm finally going to marry you."

How much must one love someone to be overwhelmed to the point of tears at the thought of marrying them?

As Norah's thoughts drifted off, the salesperson eagerly spoke again, "Ms. Sandoval, Mr. Emerson was involved in designing this dress. He personally sourced all the diamonds on it. Each one is so valuable, it could fetch a fortune at auction. And this gown features 99 of them!

"Normally, the men who accompany their fiancées to try on wedding dresses get impatient after a while. But Mr. Emerson took care of every detail without a single complaint. He truly loves you, Ms. Sandoval."

Listening to the salesperson list off Antonio's efforts, Norah couldn't help but glance at him.

When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with nothing but love and tenderness. It was completely different from the cold, aloof, almost untouchable image of the Swinford scion the media portrayed.

That was why everyone, including Norah, had been deceived into thinking he truly loved her.

After Norah tried on the dress, they stepped out of the bridal shop. Antonio, ever the gentleman, opened the car door for her and put his hand above her head to ensure she didn't hit her head while getting into the car. Once she had settled in, he carefully shut the door before getting in himself.

As the car slowly started moving, his assistant, Greyson Lynch, began briefing him. "Mr. Emerson, the woman who tried to make a move on you has been dealt with. She won't appear in Swinford anymore."

Antonio's voice grew cold as he scolded Greyson. "Tell me these things privately. Don't bother Norah with them."

Then, he quickly grabbed her hand with care. "Don't be upset, Norah. That woman never touched me. Her perfume got on me, but I washed it off ten times before coming back. I'm all clean. You know I've only loved you all these years."

Norah knew he wasn't lying. With his status, there must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of women throwing themselves at him. Yet he always dealt with them without crossing any lines.

But right now, she couldn't bring herself to feel happy. She forced a faint smile. "I know."

Antonio didn't notice her change in mood. Gently holding her hand, he took out his phone to handle some work.

Suddenly, his face changed slightly, as if he saw something unexpected. "Stop the car!"

The car screeched to a halt, and the tires screeched loudly. Before Norah could ask what was going on, Antonio had already opened the door and gotten out of the car.

"Norah, I have something urgent to handle. Let Greyson take you home, okay?"

It wasn't really a question since he didn't give her any other option. With that, he rushed away, leaving her behind.

Norah silently watched him walk away, then pulled out her phone to check her sister, Isabella Sandoval's Instagram account.

She had uploaded a new post one minute ago. It showed a picture of a swollen ankle with the caption, "Twisted my ankle. It hurts so much."

Seeing that post and recalling Antonio's anxious expression earlier, Norah couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears.

She couldn't understand why everyone around her always seemed to prefer Isabella.

This was already her second failed engagement.

The first was to Sheldon Warner, the heir of Warner Corporation. The two families had arranged their marriage when they had been children.

Norah had fallen for him at first sight and had been following him around, but Sheldon only had eyes for Isabella and hated Norah with a passion.

She had spent seven long years enduring his cold indifference until, finally, she had given up. It had been then that she had seen Antonio, who had always quietly watched over her.

All these years, she had chased after Sheldon, only to be hurt time and time again. Antonio had always been there to wipe away her tears.

He had shown up in front of her with deep affection, quietly caring for her without expecting anything in return. As long as she turned around, he would always be there.

So, she had cleared her heart and let Antonio in.

She had thought she had finally chosen the right person.

But recently, with their wedding coming up soon, she had overheard a conversation between Antonio and his friend, Hayden Elliott.

"You never liked Norah. Are you really going to marry her?"

Antonio's voice had been low, tinged with the haze of alcohol. "Yeah, it's the only way Isa can be happy."

Hayden had sighed. "I swear, you're truly a rare kind of fool. You've silently loved Isabella for all these years. As if that wasn't enough, after finding out she liked Sheldon, you went and pursued Sheldon's fiancée just to make sure Isabella could become Mrs. Warner.

"Now you've done it. Norah's finally stepped aside, but do you realize the cost of this? You're throwing away your own life for Isabella."

Antonio's voice had been barely above a whisper, but it was full of unspoken depth. "I'll do anything as long as Isa can be happy."

Norah had stood frozen outside the door, feeling as though she had been struck by a thunderbolt.

At that moment, she realized that Antonio's seven years of love and devotion had all been lies. His real love had always been Isabella.

He was so noble, willing to sacrifice his own life for Isabella's happiness.

He had deceived her so well that she had never suspected the sincerity of his feelings was just an act. He had been after her only to make sure she made room for Isabella.

That night, she had stood in the rain, crying her heart out.

Ever since she had been a child, her parents had always favored Isabella and never given her much affection. When she had grown up, her fiancé had fallen for Isabella and had never once returned her feelings.

And now it turned out that even Antonio, the one person who had seemed to care for her, had only ever loved Isabella.

Everyone loved Isabella. No one loved Norah.

That day, she had made a decision.

Since no one in Swinford cared for her, she would escape to a deserted island, where she could pay for a fake family and a fake boyfriend. She would leave this place behind and live the rest of her life in peace.

Though the family and boyfriend she would have were only paid actors, their companionship would be enough.

From this moment on, her parents, Sheldon, and Antonio would no longer be part of her life.

Chapter 2

The car soon came to a stop in front of the matrimonial home that Antonio had bought.

After getting out, Norah immediately began packing.

She threw out everything in the house that belonged to her and erased every trace of her existence here.

Then, she started to process the deactivation of her state ID. Only by doing that would these people truly never be able to find her again.

She had prepared all the materials, only to realize at the last moment that her birth certificate was not in her hands. She had no choice but to go back to the Sandoval residence.

An hour later, she stood in front of the entrance. This was her home, yet she didn't have a key.

Even knocking on the door required a great deal of courage. She knew her parents didn't welcome her.

The maid took a long time to open the door. As soon as Norah entered, she saw her parents, Charlie Sandoval and Lilian Talley, pacing in the living room. They looked extremely anxious.

When they heard the door open, they quickly came to greet her. But as soon as they saw it was her, their faces twisted in disdain.

"Why are you here?"

"You never came back for years. Why are you suddenly here now? Why can't you be more like Isa? You're both our children, yet you're so different!"

The familiar scolding pierced her ears. She had heard this for over 20 years, and now she couldn't bear to hear it anymore. Norah's expression didn't change at all. She pretended she hadn't heard anything.

She went straight upstairs, found her birth certificate, and tucked it into her bag before heading downstairs.

When Charlie and Lilian saw her calm demeanor, they grew even more enraged. Their words became sharper.

"What now? Are you pretending to be deaf? Don't you have any respect for us? How did we end up with a daughter like you?"

While they were ranting, the front door suddenly opened.

Antonio entered, carrying Isabella in his arms. As soon as he looked up, his eyes met Norah's.

She glanced at how intimate they were, then shifted her gaze away. Her eyes were as calm as ever, but a hint of panic rose in Antonio's chest.

He hurriedly set Isabella down and walked over to Norah. "Norah, please don't misunderstand. Isa twisted her ankle, and I happened to be nearby, so I carried her back…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but Norah didn't call out the lies he was feeding her.

"Sheldon is on a business trip, or I wouldn't have bothered Tony. I hope you don't mind, Nora."

As soon as Isabella was on her feet, Charlie and Lilian surrounded her with concern. Though she was explaining, her words were laced with subtle hints of bragging.

"I'm just so spoiled by Dad and Mom. It's a little sprain, and I'm in so much pain. Thankfully, Tony was nearby and helped me. He ran ten red lights to get me to the hospital, and he even carried me back. I really owe him so much."

As Isabella said that, she stared at Norah with a smug look in her eyes. She was clearly trying to provoke Norah, hoping to see her break down in tears.

But Norah remained unaffected.

Chapter 3

When Isabella didn't get the reaction she hoped for, she quickly thought of another idea. "If it weren't for Tony, my foot would have swollen up terribly. Tony, since you're already here, why don't you stay for dinner? Consider it a thank-you."

Her tone was lively and cheerful, a sharp contrast to the silent Norah beside her.

No one bothered to ask Norah's opinion, and they simply decided she would stay for dinner.

But when all the dishes were finally ready and they gathered around the table, Norah noticed that all the dishes were spicy, just the way Isabella liked it.

She wasn't surprised. She quietly sat down at the table.

Norah had tried to politely tell Charlie and Lilian before that her stomach couldn't handle spicy food, but she had only been met with a dismissive "You're just being picky".

Later, when she had gotten together with Antonio, he had always paid attention to her preferences and had even learned to make dishes that were easy on the stomach for her.

But tonight, although he sat next to her, his attention was fully on Isabella. Every time Isabella had any needs, he quickly fulfilled them.

Norah suddenly remembered how, when Antonio had come to the Sandoval residence before, his eyes would casually drift over to Isabella.

On Isabella's birthday, he had subtly asked Norah about Isabella's preferences. When Isabella had been sick, he had always said he had to go on a business trip.

Norah couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Antonio's attention to Isabella was so obvious. How had she not noticed it until now?

No matter how much Antonio cared for Isabella, it was wrong to treat Norah as a tool. His blatant deception hurt her far more than Sheldon's rejection ever could.

By the time dinner ended, Norah hadn't eaten much. On the way back, both she and Antonio remained silent. She was thinking about deactivating her state ID, while Antonio was replaying his moments with Isabella in his mind.

Finally, Norah broke the silence. "I'm not going home. There's somewhere I need to go."

Her words snapped Antonio out of his thoughts. He immediately turned to her, gently asking, "Where are you going? I'll go with you."

"It's okay." She shook her head, refusing his offer.

But he grabbed her hand and stubbornly insisted. "No, I'll worry if you go alone."

Norah couldn't refuse, so she gave in. She didn't say where she was going but just showed him the navigation screen.

The road was clear, and they soon reached the destination.

Just as they were about to turn in, Antonio's phone suddenly rang.

The moment he answered, Lilian's voice came through. "Antonio, Isa's injury has gotten infected, and she's running a fever. Can you take her to the hospital again?"

"I'm on my way!"

He was about to turn the car around in a hurry when he seemed to remember something. He hesitated as he glanced at Norah with an apologetic look. "Norah, I…"

He opened his mouth but faltered, unsure of what to say. After a pause, he was about to speak when Norah cut him off, "Go ahead. I'm almost there. I'll walk there myself."

With that, she opened the car door and got out.

When Antonio saw that Norah had already gotten out of the car, his concern for Isabella finally outweighed everything else. He started the engine and drove off.

Watching the car disappear into the traffic, Norah remained silent, quietly swallowing the bitterness in her heart.

If he had just driven a little further, he would have seen that she was going to the Public Security Administration office to deactivate her state ID. Then, he would have realized that she was leaving.

But he didn't because he didn't care.

Chapter 4

The procedure for deactivating her state ID was quick. After finishing, Norah took a cab back to the villa.

It wasn't long before Antonio walked in with a box of bean pie. He looked apologetic as he said, "Norah, you'll be my wife soon, and Isa and I will be family.

"That's why I've been taking extra care of her. Please don't misunderstand. I've been pursuing you for so long. You should know that I only love you."

Norah couldn't understand how his acting could be so convincing.

The bean pie was from Hadleigh, located on the other side of town. With its unique flavor, there was always a long line, often lasting over three hours, all just to get one.

Antonio had gone to such lengths to make Isabella happy. It was truly the kind of devotion people spoke about, but that devotion wasn't for Norah. It was for Isabella.

Norah was exhausted and had no interest in continuing to play along. She shook her head. For the first time, she didn't accept his attempt at smoothing things over.

"I don't feel good. I'm going to rest." Without waiting for a response, she turned and went straight to her room.

Antonio stood frozen for a moment. He realized that Norah wasn't in a good mood, but he didn't think much of it. He assumed she was still upset about him going to find Isabella earlier.

To make it up to her, he canceled all his work commitments for the time being and dragged her out for a date.

They had a candlelit dinner together, went shopping for luxury items, and ended the day with a movie.

Just as they sat down in their chosen seats, a few ladies walked in. To Norah's surprise, the one in the center of the group was none other than Isabella.

Though Antonio's face remained unchanged, Norah could tell that his mind wasn't with her.

His gaze kept drifting toward Isabella. Although the movie was halfway through, Norah knew that he wasn't really watching it. Only when she suddenly called his name did he snap back to reality.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I feel sick. Let's go home," Norah said softly, as if she was suggesting leaving early genuinely because she was unwell.

Antonio glanced at Isabella one last time with a hint of reluctance but still chose to stand up and leave with Norah.

As they stepped out of the cinema, a commotion suddenly erupted behind them. A crowd surged forward, shouting, "The cinema's on fire!"

Antonio's face went pale as he heard the shouts. Just as he was about to rush back into the theater, he saw the group of people who had entered with Isabella running out as well.

He quickly stopped them. His voice was filled with urgency and panic as he asked, "Where's Isa?"

The group exchanged uncertain glances at his question. When they thought about it, their faces turned pale, and they hesitated before answering, "I-I think she hasn't come out yet."

Antonio's rage erupted immediately, burning away all his rationality. He shouted, "Didn't I tell you to look after her?"

He didn't want to hear anything more from them. At once, he rushed toward the burning cinema.

Before he could get too far, his driver, Jordan Foster, blocked his way. "Mr. Emerson, the fire is too intense. You can't go in. The rescue teams are on their way—"

Jordan's words were cut short by Antonio's furious shout. "Get out of the way!"

With that, he pushed past everyone and ran toward the burning cinema.

Chapter 5

The moment the rescue teams arrived, Antonio emerged, covered in blood, carrying the unconscious Isabella in his arms.

He carefully placed her onto the stretcher, only passing out himself after confirming she was unharmed.

As he fell, the wounds on his back were completely exposed.

The gruesome, bloodied wounds made Norah, who thought she would never feel pain for him again, unable to hold back her tears. It wasn't out of sympathy. She just couldn't help but remember the past.

Back then, Antonio had pursued her for a long time. She wasn't truly that cold-hearted, but she had always ignored his efforts. The truth was, she couldn't let go of Sheldon, so she couldn't accept Antonio's feelings.

It hadn't been until that one time, when she had suddenly collapsed and had been rushed to the hospital that she had found out she had kidney failure.

She had called Charlie and Lilian, desperately begging them to be a donor, but they had coldly refused. They had told her they had plans to travel with Isabella and claimed that kidney failure wasn't fatal. And even if it were, they would simply wait to be informed of her death.

Her own parents had heartlessly hung up on her.

At her lowest point, Antonio had quietly stepped in. He had undergone the matching test without a word and then silently laid on the operating table.

It hadn't been until after the surgery that Norah had learned Antonio was the donor.

She had stayed by his bedside and cried for a long time. When he had finally woken up, the first thing he had seen was her tear-streaked face.

Immediately, he had pulled her into his arms and repeatedly comforted her. "It's okay. Don't cry. I did this willingly."

But his words only made her cry harder.

At that moment, she had thought maybe she should finally stop waiting for someone who would never come back and see the person who was right in front of her.

But just as she had given in to his warmth and fallen deeply in love with him, she had realized it had all been a lie.

Looking back now, Norah realized that Antonio had always been someone willing to risk everything for love. But the love he fought for wasn't hers. It was Isabella's.

Antonio was hospitalized for a long time after his injuries.

In the past, when he had suffered even minor injuries, Norah would cry nonstop out of concern. But this time, she didn't even go to the hospital to take care of him.

Even when Greyson passed along a message that Antonio wanted to see her, she pretended not to hear it and continued focusing on her own affairs.

One night, as she slept fitfully, she suddenly felt a weight on her body. Startled, she opened her eyes to find Antonio clinging to her.

He was still wearing a hospital gown, and it was clear he had run out of the hospital. His forehead was wrapped in bandages, and his injuries hadn't fully healed. But here he was, holding her without saying a word.

Norah struggled to push him away a few times and finally asked, "Why did you come back?"

"I missed you," Antonio murmured, burying his face in her neck.

After a moment of silence, he continued with a note of grievance in his voice, "Didn't you hear from Greyson? Have you been refusing to visit me these days because I went to save Isa?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you to find someone else, but she's your sister, and the situation was urgent. I had to go to her.

"But I swear, the only person I've ever loved is you. My extra concern for Isa was just because she's family. There's nothing more to it. Please don't be angry with me, Norah."

Antonio's words were sincere. If Norah didn't know who he truly loved, she might have believed him.

But she could see through him. His sudden return wasn't because he cared about her feelings.It was because he was afraid she would see through his true feelings for Isabella. He was afraid their marriage might fall apart and that Isabella wouldn't get what she wanted.

In truth, he didn't need to keep pretending. He could rest easy knowing that very soon, all these people would have nothing to do with her.

She would disappear from their lives and live happily with her made-up family. Though that family wasn't real, it hardly mattered to her.

After all, she had never received any real love from her real family. So what did it matter whether those people on the island were her real family or not?