Chapter 16

ISABELLA'S POV

I looked at Scarlett again; the box felt heavy in my hands, much heavier than it should have been on a normal day.

It wasn't the weight of the content inside, but the weight of what it represented, the possibilities it held, could either redeem me or even wound me further.

Just as I was about to peel open the wrapping, Scarlett's phone suddenly trembled, cutting through the stillness between us like a knife.

I watched her face closely as she glanced at the screen. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the name on the screen.

“It’s Ruth; oh my God, Bella, I really have to take this,” she said, her voice suddenly brisk and distant.

I shrugged and mumbled.

“Sure…of course.”

When she was done with speaking with the person on the phone, she dropped it on her laps and turned back to me sharply.

“It’s an urgent matter with one of my clients overseas. I forgot to submit his last art projects.”

I nodded, still holding the box, feeling an odd yet surprising surge of reli