Chapter 40 A Slap for Silence Finished Seeing Isabelle's panic , Estella sneered . " What do you think would happen if I handed this recording to the police ? Think you'd still have a future ? " Isabelle clenched her jaw . " What do you want me to do to delete it ? " Estella smiled faintly . " Two conditions . First , fix the rumors . If anyone is still gossiping or icing me out tomorrow , I'll hand over the recording immediately . " Isabelle seethed with rage , but she had no choice . " Fine . I'll clear things up . But you'd better hold up your end too . What's the second : Estella didn't answer . Instead she stepped forward and slapped Isabelle across the face . Hard . Isabelle stood there , stunned . Then came another - followed by several more , each more brutal than the last . Only when Estella's palm throbbed with pain did she finally stop . Isabelle's face was swollen , red , and stinging . Her eyes filled with tears . Estella , now calm , asked , " You're not going to tell anyone I hit you , are you ? " Isabelle , humiliated and trembling , murmured , " I tripped ... I fell on my own . " Estella patted her cheek with a smile . " That's better . " And with that , she turned and walked off . Isabelle stood frozen in the corridor , shaking with fury - but with that damning recording in Estella's hands , there was nothing she could do . She stomped her foot in frustration . How had Estella even convinced the kidnappers to record that call ? But there was no going back now . She had to accept the consequences . Sull , she wouldn't let her injuries go to waste . She slipped on a face mask and headed straight for Hartwell Group to find Nathaniel . Nathaniel was already in a foul mood because of Estella , and her visit didn't help . He barely looked up at first - until she pulled down her mask , revealing her swollen cheek . He finally noticed . " Isabelle , what happened to your face ? " Tears welled up in her eyes . " At the orchestra . Estella slapped me . Out of nowhere ! I don't even know why . Nathaniel .. is she going crazy ? " Nathaniel assumed Estella was lashing out because of the kidnapping . He felt guilty and didn't want to speak ill of her . Instead , he gently reassured Isabelle , " I did something to hurt her . She's upset and I don't blame her for acting out . I'm sorry you got caught in the middle . I'll make it up to you . I had Whitney win two pieces of jewelry at auction - I'll give them to you today , alright ? " Isabelle blinked He wasn't going to defend her ? In the past , even the slightest complaint and he'd scold Estella for her . Now nothing ? Chapter 40 A Slap for Silence She swallowed her anger , afraid that if she pushed , Nathaniel would drift further toward Estella . Moments later , Whitney brought the jewelry . When Isabelle saw the necklace and bracelet in the box , she immediately recognized them . She'd seen Whitney bid on them before Christmas . She had thought they were a gift Nathaniel had prepared for her - and had been waiting ever since . But he never gave them to her . She'd assumed they went to Madeline . Turns out , they'd just been sitting there . So who were they originally meant for ? She stayed a while longer with Nathaniel , then left with a storm brewing in her heart . #Finished Later , she found Whitney and carefully pried for answers - only to learn Nathaniel had gone to see Estella on Christmas Eve . So the jewelry was meant for Estella all along ? Isabelle's blood boiled . Estella doesn't deserve jewelry like this . And now that Estella had gotten her footing back at the orchestra , Isabelle grew even more uneasy . She couldn't just sit around . She had to get rid of Estella - fast . The next day , Estella returned to the orchestra and noticed a dramatic change . The other members were noticeably friendlier - no more tripping , no more locker sabotage , no more cold shoulders . Still , their eyes held a faint trace of pity . Estella couldn't help but wonder what Isabelle had told them . At lunch , she sat with Trent . It wasn't long before he brought it up . " Estella , so it's true ? You were kidnapped the night of the performance ? " Trent's concern was genuine . " They didn't hurt you , did they ? " Estella hadn't wanted to share this . People talked . Even if nothing happened , rumors would spread . She was already angry at Isabelle's performative sympathy - but she didn't show it with Trent . Calmly , she replied , " I'm fine . The police came quickly , and they were all arrested . " Trent asked , " Why'd they kidnap you ? "