ISABELLA'S POVMy hands were still wringing until I was sure I was going to peel the skin off my bones.Olivia stood before me, smiling maliciously at me. A long silence passed between us before she spoke again."I'll forget about your ring. I'll forget about finding it in my brother's room. I'll forget it all. I'll erase it from my mind. On one condition."When I didn’t respond, she turned to face me, and when I met her gaze, I found in her eyes the quiet desperation."You have to do something for me in return."I regarded her quietly and remained quiet, dreading what she would request. Olivia had never missed an opportunity to make me miserable. She enjoyed insulting me and never failed to remind me of how I married her father who is old enough to birth me.She was a thorn in my flesh. I felt peace when she got admitted into college and left. The times she came home, I avoided bumping into her.She was a nightmare.She walked closer to me until I could smell the alcohol on her breat
ISABELLA'S POVI’d just finished the shower when Edward came in.He met my gaze for a brief moment.“Hi,” I said to him, and without waiting for a response, turned my back to him.He watched me, as I stood in front of the mirror, brushing out my hair to be pulled into a bun.I was sure he saw my hand tremble.I met his gaze through his reflection in the mirror and sent him a smile.I was dressed in khaki shorts and one of his T-shirts, just as he liked.After slipping off his shoes, he headed over to me. He stood just close enough to me that I could feel his breath on my skin."I'm sorry about Olivia. She's just a kid. You shouldn't take whatever she says to heart.""She's a kid? We're literally the same age Edward! You sat there and watched her insult me, and now you say I should overlook it because she's a kid?" I was so angry at him. My eyes were filled with tears again and I struggled to keep them from falling."No, Isabella. Don't sound that way." He came closer and pulled me clo
ISABELLA'S POVI woke up the next morning feeling sore. I tried to move my legs but the jolt of the sting almost set me off right there. I took a few seconds to calm myself. I couldn't move my legs without hurting.Edward had fucked me last night until I almost passed out. I watched him fall asleep after the intense blow-job I gave him and I thought I was free.But I thought wrong.I was fast asleep when I was rudely awakened by Edward pulling down my shorts. And the next thing I knew, he shoved his member into my dry sex and I let out a piercing shriek.He always seemed to think that the sounds of pain I made were sounds of pleasure. It seemed to excite him.He didn't understand foreplay. He didn't understand that I needed to get ready to receive him. And he didn't know how to be gentle. He didn't know how to give me pleasure.He pumped into me like a dog in heat and spanked me continuously. I was sure his palms were imprinted on my ass. After he was done, he collapsed on me and I la
ISABELLA'S POVMy throat was so tight that I was almost choking on my words as I stared up at him, the tears overflowing and rolling down my cheeks.With one thumb, Alex rubbed away the tears tracking my face."What's wrong Isabella?" He asked, his voice low and raspy.He moved both his hands up to cup my face, sliding his fingers into my thick curly hair and tilting my face closer to his."I dunno... I'm just so sad... It... falling... apart and...I.... so sad."I was a slobbering mess. I had gone pale and my face very still as I felt his touch. I wasn’t a weepy person, and I was trying hard not to cry, but the tears kept rolling down my face as I faced him, and I kept angrily dashing them away.Slowly Alex reached out and brushed my hair away from my damp face, then eased me into his arms and pressed my head against his shoulder. “Whatever happens, I'll be here for you,” he said in a low, tortured voice.Desperately I clung to him, inhaling deeply to draw the scent of him into my bo
ISABELLA'S POV His low, rough words washed over my shaking, twisting body. Crying a little, tormented by those long, probing fingers as he brought me to moist readiness, I tried again to free my hands, and this time he let them go.“Now,” he crooned, pulling the nightgown up. I lifted myself to aid in the removal of the frustrating garment, pulling it over my head myself and throwing it across the room.Alex’s face tightened even more as he stared down at my naked body, at my flushed, glowing skin. Briefly, his eyes closed, and he ground his teeth together.Carefully he rolled to his back and guided me astride him. “Slow and easy,” he muttered, his eyes glittering like black fire as he positioned himself for me. “Let’s go easy, a little at a time.”Oh Alex,” I whispered achingly, closing my eyes at the probing of his flesh against mine. I braced my hands on his chest, my fingers flexing in the mat of curly hair, and slid onto him.He made a guttural sound and arched beneath me, his ha
ALEXANDER'S POVI lay in my bed feeling restless. It was past 1 am and I hadn't had a wink of sleep. I pored over the documents I was reading since that was the only thing to keep my mind from wandering.I submerged myself in work to avoid Isabella. At this point, I didn't know what to believe anymore. I knew I felt so much more than sexual attraction for her, and it was tearing me apart.I still hadn't found out why she would marry my father, and now, Lucas was in the picture too.The image of the both of them I saw that night plagued me. The way Lucas pulled her towards him. It looked like they were arguing.Was it lovers' spite? Was she also fucking Lucas?I clenched my jaw and angrily closed the file I was going through.No, it can't be. Isabella isn't like that. She was terrified of Lucas.So what was the relationship between them?I asked her that night and she angrily evaded the question. I knew she was hiding something and I was going to find out.A call from the CFO at the o
ISABELLA'S POVThe dreams were so vivid that it was several minutes before I realized that I was awake, but awareness did not necessarily bring understanding.But were they memories, or dreams?I dreamt of Alex, with eyes as clear and blue as a highland lake under sunny skies, his hands tender as he caressed me, the feel of his strong chest against my palms.My fingers twitched; the dream was so real I almost ached to feel him under my hands. I lay quietly, feeling the lips on mine, trying to stop my body from responding the way it did.My head throbbed. I lay there until certain things began to return, and I knew that they weren’t dreams. The argument with Edward, my acceptance into the modeling Academy, leaving my room... and then nothing.I slowly opened my eyes and realized I wasn't dreaming. Alex was bending over me. The kiss had seized the moment he noticed I was awake and he paused to look at me.I gazed at him for a moment."Alex, what are you doing?" I whispered."You were ly
ISABELLA'S POVI sluggishly dragged myself out of bed slipped on a fresh gown and slid into flip-flops.I couldn't sleep after my encounter with Alexander. I couldn't believe I got drunk and slept off on a couch. And Alex tried to seduce me!It was past 6 am and I dragged myself to the kitchen to make a simple breakfast for Edward. Our house-help hadn't resumed yet so I had to make him breakfast, even though I didn't want to.I heat-heated the stew I made the evening before and popped buttered fresh bread into the oven. When the stew was hit enough, I ladled up some into a plate and poured tea into a tall glass full of ice.Briskly I got the bread out of the oven and put it in the napkin-lined breadbasket, then placed the basket on the dining table.I didn't hear Edward approach and I whirled, startled by his voice and what he said."No need to make breakfast for me." He said gruffly while taking out a coffee mug from the rack and heading to the coffee maker."Why? I already did. If y
ALEXANDER POVWe lay now in her bed, rumpled and all over each other. She was on her side as she stared at me, those dark orbs portraying so many emotions. I remember the very first day I met her. I hadn’t been able to see her eyes quite well, but then I could tell that she wanted me and fought deeply against it until she finally gave in. It feels like ages now. Now I watched her, wishing I could tell her so many things and nothing at the same time.“We need to talk,” I said, my mint breath washing over her face. “We have so much to talk about, don’t you think so?”She squeezed her face into a frown. “No, I don’t think we need to talk about anything.”“Isabella, you know I have to explain the situation to Madison. It’s not what you think it is.”“I don’t care what it is, Alex. I just don’t want to talk about it now. Can we not ruin the mood, please?”I nodded slowly. I didn’t understand her. She had practically jumped on me when she found out that Madison and I were now together. She
ISABELLA POVWe took a walk around the plane to the hotel I was in. I didn’t remember following him out right after I gave him that hot slap, but I did. Eventually, we sat under a bamboo cover at the outdoor bar of the hotel. The sun was bright, and the pool was empty. It would have been the perfect day to swim and wallow in sadness, but the source of my sadness was right in front of me.His face was blank and expressionless. He ordered drinks for the both of us; so natural, so neutral, as though we had not been fighting for the past few weeks, and abandoned me for some other girl. When the drinks came, he slowly pushed one towards me with a small smile.“So this is where you’ve been hiding,” he said dryly. “Suiting, I suppose, for the kind of person that you are.”I shook my head at him, somewhat surprised by his choice of language. “And what type of person am I, Alexander? The one who is married to your father or the one that you should just not mess with?”He looked away instantly,
ISABELLA POVI woke up with a soft warmth in my chest. Alexander was with me. I stretched and yawned in bed, tapping the other side of my bed with a grin on my face. I expected him to be there, to reach for me as I had reached for him, to wrap me in his arms.He was not.I opened my eyes and gasped when I realized that I was alone in bed. I sat up in urgency, my eyes quickly scanning the room. It was a mess. It was as though someone had snuck in and made love to me. It was Alexander. It had to be. My bed was a mess. The bottle of wine I had brought in lay on the floor, and the wine spilled. My bikini lay in the puddle of the spilled wine, and the white duvet from the bed had also fallen to the ground, stained by the wine too. The bedside table was pushed to the corner, its contents on the floor.“What the hell…”I didn’t even have the time to assimilate what was happening when a loud knock came on the door. I jumped, a bit startled. Then I drew my hands through my hair and tried to or
ISABELLA POVI woke up to an empty room and silence. It was the third time I was waking up that day, and this was only my second day on the vacation Edward had placed me on. I slowly got down from bed and rubbed my eyes, my worry seeping into the ends of my skull. How long would I continue living like this, yearning for someone I could never have again? Someone who’s so obviously moved on?I walked to the window and looked down from my hotel room. The view overlooked the pine trees and the pool the hotel had, plus the bar that had very few people in it. This was good. I could go down and have a few beers and try to associate. Or I could just soak myself in the water and sun. That would be even better.“Time to get your act together, Isabella,” I told myself.Taking a shower was long and tiring, but I managed to get past it. Then I slipped into a bikini and a wrap and walked out of the room. The fresh air was pleasant and nice, but it was not enough. Somehow the air back home seemed mu
ISABELLA POVI woke up to an empty room and silence. It was the third time I was waking up that day, and this was only my second day on the vacation Edward had placed me on. I slowly got down from bed and rubbed my eyes, my worry seeping into the ends of my skull. How long would I continue living like this, yearning for someone I could never have again? Someone who’s so obviously moved on?I walked to the window and looked down from my hotel room. The view overlooked the pine trees and the pool the hotel had, plus the bar that had very few people in it. This was good. I could go down and have a few beers and try to associate. Or I could just soak myself in the water and sun. That would be even better.“Time to get your act together, Isabella,” I told myself.Taking a shower was long and tiring, but I managed to get past it. Then I slipped into a bikini and a wrap and walked out of the room. The fresh air was pleasant and nice, but it was not enough. Somehow the air back home seemed mu
ALEXANDER POVI watched her walk past me without an atom of emotion in her hers. She had averted her gaze when we had locked eyes earlier on, her purpose now solely to leave and get away from my presence as fast as possible. Each time she did this, I couldn’t help but think about how much she must despise me to want to leave my sight as soon as she saw me.Lucas gazed at me as I walked past him, a knowing smirk on his lips. I hated it. I hated it so much that I wanted to reach for him and punch that smile into his face. I hated that he was hanging around Isabella a little too much. I hated that he looked like he held a sort of secret above me while he was the criminal stealing from our father’s company. I hated that he called me little bro just to undermine me in that very sentence as if he was any better than me. I hated him. I hated myself for hating him. I hated life.I suddenly stopped in the hallway, Madison still latched on to my arms. She was so into me that she barely noticed
ISABELLA POVThere was a helicopter waiting for me at Edward’s request in the morning. I gasped when I saw it, jumping out of bed and rushing to the window to gawk at it. He came up behind me with a wide grin on his face.“You’re going to Miami,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around.As usual, I was tempted to maneuver out of his embrace because it did not feel like home to me, but I held back that feeling. He was not Alexander and will never be, so it was better for me to look past all those feelings now and move on with my life just as Alex had.“I can’t believe this,” I gushed, truly happy at the sight. “When you mentioned mini vacation I really thought you were bluffing.”“I would never bluff at something like that. I really did mean it.” He squeezed me a little harder in his embrace. “There is just something I need you to do for me.”I was tense. “What?”He seemed to notice my tension because he patted my forearms in comfort. “It’s nothing serious, darling. There’s a docume
ALEXANDER POVI felt my blood boiling. I wanted to do something, but there was nothing else to do other than hold the scarf in my hand and seethe in anger. There was a red handprint on her face, so glaring and so visible. It only had to have happened today.Isabella grabbed the scarf off my hands with a sigh. “Don’t do that,” she said, wrapping it around her face once more.“You’re being abused,” I said smoothly. “Dad, you’re abusing her?”“I’m not abusing her,” he said sharply“He’s not abusing me,” Isabella said just at the same time as well.They glanced at each other at their words, then quickly looked away. There was something that passed between them that I couldn’t understand, a silent message. The anger started to boil so fast, I could see steam coming out of my ears.“You’re abusing her!” I accused, slamming my hand hard on the table and causing my father to jerk. “Why are you doing this to her, huh? When has she ever wronged you?!”The businessmen shifted in their seats, uns
ALEXANDER POVEverything around me felt slow and dull. My hands were slack, tied by so many things—responsibilities, Madison, the company. The little ray of sunshine I had left had been snuffed out. This little dinner my father was putting together would not help matters, especially since I would see Isabella there. It didn’t matter if I had been sinning with her for the longest time. It didn’t matter if she was never mine to begin with and I had taken what was not meant for me. It didn’t matter if she hated me now and never wanted to look at my face. All I thought of was how much my heart ached at her absence.I heard Lucas laughing and I went towards the sound, eager to find something else to distract me. I stopped halfway when I saw him leaning over Isabella in the space between the kitchen and the corridor. He was smirking and muttering some words to her. Her face was upturned to his attentively. Even though I couldn’t completely see her face, I knew that she was listening intentl