After years of enduring an abusive marriage, Isabelle Rivers discovers a shocking truth: her husband has another family. Betrayed by the people she trusted most, she escapes only to find herself at the mercy of her past and the threats that follow. A fateful encounter with her childhood friend-turned-billionaire, Liam Anderson, sets her on a path of healing and rediscovery. But as old wounds resurface and dangerous secrets unravel, Isabelle must decide whether to trust a man again or walk away for good.
View MoreDan sat comfortably on his worn leather couch, a self-satisfied grin on his face as he sipped whiskey from a crystal glass. Outside his home, the muffled voices of the townspeople grew louder, their determined footsteps heading straight for his door, just like he had expected... or heard from Clara. He barely flinched when the knock came—a loud, insistent pounding that echoed through the small house.With deliberate slowness, Dan rose from his couch and strolled to the door. He opened it just enough to lean against the frame, his smirk widening when he saw Mrs. Aldric standing at the forefront of the group. Her face was lined with worry and anger, a combination that only fueled his amusement.“Well, if it isn’t the town’s matron saint,” Dan uttered, dully. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Aldric? And the others?”Her eyes narrowed. “We’re looking for Isabelle. Where is she?”Dan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Isabelle? You mean your little stray? Haven’t seen her.”“Don’t lie to
The air was cool and damp as Dan pulled up to his secret house on the outskirts of the town, the small property cloaked in shadows from the surrounding trees. Isabelle’s unconscious form lay slumped in the passenger seat, her face pale in the faint moonlight. Dan smirked as he stepped out of the car, walking around to lift her limp body into his arms.“She’s lighter than I thought,” he muttered, adjusting her weight.He had just reached the porch steps when he noticed a figure standing near the doorway. The man was tall, dressed in dark clothing, and leaning casually against the doorframe. The dim light from the porch lamp didn’t quite reach his face, leaving it covered in the shadows.Dan tensed, his grip on Isabelle tightening. “Who the hell are you?”The man straightened, his movements slow and deliberate. “Just someone with a lot of interest in the girl you’re carrying,” he said, his voice smooth and low.Dan narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. “Is that so? What do you know about
The evening sun cast long shadows across the quiet streets as Mrs. Aldric hurriedly locked the restaurant door, her hands trembling. Isabelle should have arrived hours ago. Something was wrong. Her gut churned with unease as she practically jogged home, her thoughts racing.“Please let her be home,” she muttered under her breath, her shoes clicking against the cobblestones.When she reached the house, she threw the door open, calling out, “Isabelle? Isabelle, are you here?”The silence that greeted her sent a chill down her spine. She checked the kitchen, the small sitting room, and even upstairs, her worry growing with every empty room. Isabelle’s bag and the ledger were gone, but the house was eerily quiet.Mrs. Aldric sank onto the sofa, her head in her hands. “Where could she have gone?” she whispered, fear tightening around her chest.She didn’t sit for long. With a resolve born from years of running her business and protecting the people she cared about, she bolted out the door a
Isabelle stood in the kitchen, rinsing out a few dishes as the older woman bustled around, preparing her things for the busy day ahead at the restaurant.Mrs. Aldric paused at the doorway, turning to Isabelle with a thoughtful look. “Isabelle, I want you to stay home today.”“What?” Isabelle blinked, setting down the dish. “Why?”Mrs. Aldric sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Dan’s got his sights set on you, and I don’t want to give him another excuse to show up at the restaurant. I don't think he's been so focused on something like this, it only just lasts for a while, but what he said yesterday sounded pretty serious and I don't want to put you in danger.”Isabelle frowned, a pang of guilt and frustration tightening her chest. “But I can’t just hide here. I don’t want to be a burden to you. With the way I told him off and rejected him, he would know that I'm serious and stay away too, wouldn't he?”“You’re not a burden,” Mrs. Aldric said firmly, placing a reassuring hand on Isa
The next morning, Isabelle woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains, a huge difference from the unease that had settled in her chest the night before. She remembered the encounter with Dan, his smug grin and invasive questions lingering on her mind like a bad memory.She found Mrs. Aldric in the kitchen, humming softly as she stirred a pot of soup. Mrs Aldric greeted her with a warm smile. “Good morning, dear. Sleep well?”“Better than I thought I would,” Isabelle admitted, though she left out the part where she had tossed and turned at a point worrying about what happened with Dan and if he'll come back and cause trouble for her and Mrs Aldric.“Good,” Mrs. Aldric said, setting two bowls on the table. “You’ve got a busy day ahead. Saturdays are our busiest at the restaurant, especially with the tourists coming through. So we have to eat before setting out for work.”Isabelle nodded, grateful for the distraction. Sje needed to work to keep her mind occupied.---The restaura
CHAPTER 5: A NEW START.Isabelle ran fast, her breath running out, her heart beating fast like crazy, her bare feet slamming against the pavement as Richard’s furious shouts echoed behind her. She didn't want to look back,but she had to see if she was close, her heart dropped as she saw him actually closing in on her. “ Isabelle, I told you before. You're mine and you can never get away from me.” His face was twisted with rage, his hand raised, ready to strike.“No!” Isabelle cried out, her voice trembling with fear. Her chest rose up and down restlessly and her breathing became shallow and uneven. The sound of a soft knock on her door pulled her back to reality. Her eyes snapped open, her heart still pounding in her chest.“Isabelle, dear,” Mrs. Aldric called gently from outside. “Are you alright?”Isabelle sat up, wiping the cold sweat from her brow. “Y-yes,” she stammered, though her voice betrayed her unease. She had been staying with Mrs Aldric for about two weeks now without
The hospital room was quiet, except for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Isabelle stared at the ceiling, her body was too exhausted to move, and her was mind too overwhelmed to process everything that had happened to her.Her gaze moved to the man seated in the chair beside her bed. Liam Anderson. Thinking about it now, she’d heard that name before, long ago. But she really couldn’t place it. He sat there now, pressing his phone, his expression calm and composed.“Why are you still here?” she asked, her voice hoarse.Liam looked up at her, setting his phone aside. “Because you need someone to be here.”“I don’t even know you,” she muttered, turning her face away.Liam leaned forward, his voice, firm. “You didn’t know who I was when you asked for help, but I still stopped and brought you to the hospital. I could’ve just kept driving.”She sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I don’t know why you’re bothering to help someone you don't know. Plus, you look like a very
The house was too silent. The kind of silence that pressed down on Isabelle like a suffocating weight. She sat in the kitchen, staring at the floor tiles, her mind racing. Her cheek still burned from Richard’s slap, but it wasn’t the physical pain that left her feeling hollow and hurt. It was the realization that this was her life; a gilded cage where her voice didn’t matter, her choices didn’t exist, and her dignity had long been stripped away. She made the mistake of believing she could reason with Richard, but all it had done was make him angry. The slam of a door upstairs jolted her from her thoughts, followed by the heavy thud of Richard's footsteps. She stiffened and quickly gripped the edge of the counter for support. When Richard appeared in the doorway, his expression was cold and she could see the burning anger in his eyes, much more than before.“Get up,” he barked. “What now?” Isabelle asked quietly, not meeting his gaze.“Upstairs,” he snapped. “Now.”“I’m your wife, no
Isabelle stood on the dimly lit sidewalk, clutching the strap of her bag. The cool night air was refreshing against her face which was wet with tears, but it did little to calm the storm inside her. She had no plan, no destination, only the desperate need to escape.Her feet moved instinctively, leading her toward the only place she could think of: her father’s house. The thought of facing him after all these years was daunting, but she needed help. Surely, he’d understand.By the time she reached the familiar iron gate of her childhood home, it was very late in the night. She hesitated, her hand hovering over the buzzer. A small voice in her head screamed at her to turn back, but she pushed it aside and pressed the button. She knew she might not be welcomed because of her stepmother but at least her birth father was in there too and he wouldn't watch her get abused and not do anything about it. A long pause followed before the speaker crackled. “Who is it?”“It’s Isabelle,” she said
Isabelle Rivers ran her fingers over the edge of the glossy wedding photo sitting on the table. She stared at the couple in the frame, their smiles frozen in time. The woman in the photo looked like a stranger—red-head, bright-eyed, radiant, and full of hope. Hope that had drained away, a long time ago. The reflection in the mirror beside the photo told a different story. She was the same woman in the picture but this time, she looked totally different. She was pale, she had dark circles around her eyes, and her lips were pressed into a thin, resigned line.The house around her was silent, except for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Richard hadn’t come home last night. It wasn't the first night that he had done this, but it hurt her every night. More so, when he didn't apologize or give a reason why he didn't come home. She tried not to think about where he had been or, more painfully, who he might have been with, but she couldn't help it. She also couldn't bring hers
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments