Emerson’s POVThe faint hum of the surveillance video filled the room, the images flickering in and out of clarity. I had watched this footage more times than I could count. My eyes, tired but sharp, were fixated on the moment Isabel vanished from the screen. Every detail was burned into my memory—the way she was hoisted off the ground by Sebastian and his soldiers. I paused on the image where he held her, helping her to her feet. Something about it gnawed at me, twisting in my gut like a vice.Why didn’t Isabel reach out to me? Why hadn’t she come home yet? Why did she trust that Sebastian guy over Michael?A dark, nameless anger stirred inside me. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it was the betrayal of her choosing strangers over me. Either way, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was happening. Something I was just out of reach of grasping. Isabel’s face, her blue eyes filled with that familiar determination, haunted my thoughts.I paused the video, freezing on that image
Isabel’s POV“Margot? Are you in there?” I knocked gently on her bedroom door. Silence. No response.I opened the door. “Margot?” My eyes narrowed as I scanned the room. She wasn’t there.Margot was gone. An unsettling feeling in my gut told me something was wrong. It was strange—she was always meticulous about letting someone know her whereabouts. Especially with how things had been lately. I called her name again, hoping she was just in the bathroom or had simply stepped out for a moment. No response.Everything in the room seemed in order, except for her hairbrush. It was lying on the ground. My pulse quickened. The hairbrush was a gift from Sebastian; she cherished it. The thought of her carelessly dropping it didn’t sit right with me. I picked it up and noticed a crack along its handle, as if it had been thrown. Hard.Panic began to tighten its grip on me. Something was wrong. The air in the room felt heavy with tension, like the lingering remnants of a storm. I had to tell Seba
Isabel’s POVThe air was thick with tension as I stood there, vulnerable and exposed. I felt the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a storm. Was this the right choice?If nothing else, I had to save Margot. She stood there, trembling, with a gun pressed against her temple. This was not her battle to fight, nor was it Sebastian’s. This was between me and Emerson. I would not let these kind, innocent siblings get caught in the crossfire.Emerson’s bodyguards formed a barrier between me and Sebastian, while the soldiers stood watchful but uncertain. I knew this was my moment. If I didn’t act, things would spiral out of control. Emerson wasn’t the type to be patient for long. And Sebastian, despite his calm exterior, was on the verge of losing his composure. Margot’s life hung in the balance, and I couldn’t bear to see her suffer any more because of me.“Isabel, you can’t do this,” Sebastian said, his voice laced with disbelief. His eyes met mine, searching for some other s
Isabel’s POVAs I stood between Sebastian and Emerson, I felt a swirl of confusion. Sebastian’s sudden action—the cold, metallic object he had slipped into my hand—left me unsettled. I clenched my palm tightly, trying not to let my thoughts betray me. If Emerson noticed anything out of the ordinary, things could escalate quickly.The object felt familiar. Similar to the invisible headset I had used to listen in on their conversation, only smaller. Was it a communication device? One thing was clear—Sebastian wasn’t letting me go without a plan. We would stay connected.“I’ll keep my promise,” Sebastian said, his voice low but firm. There was a quiet intensity in his eyes as he glanced toward me. “As a return for all you’ve done for us.”He was referring to the investigation—Lilith, my father, the monstrous clinic, and everything we had unraveled. The look in his eyes told me that this wasn’t goodbye. Not completely. There was still unfinished business between us, and this small devic
Isabel’s POVEmerson’s estate loomed in the distance, a grand structure nestled in the quiet countryside. Its isolated location made it perfect for keeping secrets and avoiding prying eyes. “We’ll be safe here,” Emerson said with a cold certainty. His words felt more like a sentence than a reassurance. Safe? Being isolated with a man who had grown increasingly unpredictable didn’t exactly feel safe.His maid welcomed us in, and Emerson asked her to prepare a meal. As the table was set, the silence between us was suffocating. The warmth of the food felt out of place in the frigid atmosphere. I stared at my plate, barely touching the meal. I knew this was just the calm before another storm.It wasn’t long before Emerson spoke, breaking the silence with a question that dripped with thinly veiled bitterness. “What exactly is going on between you and Sebastian?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.I looked up, startled. “What are you talking about?” I asked, though deep down, I knew where this
Isabel’s POVAs soon as the door to Emerson’s study slammed shut, my anger flared. How dare he? What right did Emerson have to imprison me like this? To restrict my freedom as though I was his property? My fists clenched at my sides, and my heart pounded in my chest. I wanted to scream, to shout back at him through the thick walls of his study. But before I could do anything, a sharp pain shot through my head, making my vision blur for a second.Not now. Of all times for this headache to strike.I stumbled to the sofa, rubbing my temples in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain. There had to be some painkillers around here. Emerson kept me locked up, but he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would skimp on amenities for his precious estate. I started searching the room, trying to keep my frustration at bay, but before I could get very far, Michael suddenly appeared beside me, holding out a glass of water and a familiar bottle of painkillers.I jumped, startled by his sudden presenc
Isabel’s POVMichael’s words echoed in my mind, unsettling and ridiculous all at once. The idea that Emerson could have been so... desperate. The man who had always seemed invincible, cold, and calculating, brought to the brink because of me? It didn’t add up. But before I could dwell on it further, the doorbell rang. The sharp sound pulled me out of my thoughts.Michael glanced at me before heading to answer the door. His usually calm face twitched slightly, betraying a hint of discomfort. I watched him leave, trying to gather my scattered emotions. Emerson’s extremes—his anger, his possessiveness, his bizarre form of care—had left me off-balance. I didn’t like any of it.When Michael returned, he wasn’t alone. A familiar face stepped into the room—the housekeeper. My heart skipped a beat. Marianne.I hadn’t seen her in years, not since Emerson and I divorced. We had once gotten along so well. And now here she was, in this strange new chapter of my life, as if no time had passed.“We
Isabel’s POVI stared blankly at the two jewelry boxes in my hands. Why did Emerson want me to have them? How did he get them back from the auction? It was all so confusing.The weight of the rubies and emeralds pulled me into a flood of memories. My fingers absently traced the edges of the ruby necklace, a piece that had once belonged to my mother. I never thought I would see it again, let alone feel it rest in my hands. The deep red stones shimmered in the dim light, reflecting fragments of the past. Every time I looked at it, my mother’s radiant smile flashed before me, her warmth and elegance embedded in every facet of the jewels.But how could Emerson have gotten them? The necklace had been sold to someone else at the auction. As for the emerald brooch... it meant so much to the Williams family. And I had thrown it all away, leaving it in the hands of the highest bidder. I thought he would hate me for it, that he would immediately give it to Lilith. But instead, he had risked hi
Isabel’s POVI sat propped up in bed, trying to read Emerson’s expression. He had always been sharp, but I hadn’t expected him to piece things together this quickly. Despite all Robert’s and my attempts to keep the details of the surgery planning under wraps, Emerson had unraveled the threads effortlessly.I shouldn’t have been surprised. He was relentless when it came to matters he cared about. And right now, that matter was me.Still, I didn’t react dramatically. This was Emerson, after all. It was natural for someone as intelligent and observant as him to sense when things didn’t add up. And despite his anger, I knew he wouldn’t jeopardize the efforts of the people working tirelessly to save my life. Whatever his feelings about Robert or Elias—or even Mateo—he wouldn’t risk doing anything that might hurt me. That, I was sure of.Emerson stood stiffly at the foot of my bed, his gaze boring into me. He was waiting for an explanation, but I wasn’t about to offer one on a silver platt
Isabel’s POVMy heart thudded painfully in my chest as Mateo’s words hung in the air. The air in the room was so thick with tension it was hard to breathe. Emerson stood stiffly beside my bed, his face a storm of anger and fear. His voice thundered, breaking the fragile silence.“What?! How could this happen? Didn’t you say the tumor was benign? Or have you been lying all along?!”Dr. Mateo Vargas’s calm demeanor cracked under the strain of Emerson’s fury. “I understand how shocking this is, Sir. However, this is not the time or place for accusations.” He gestured toward me, indicating the fragile state I was in.“I did say it was benign,” Mateo countered, his voice rising. “But I also warned that surgery might become necessary if her condition worsened.”Emerson’s fists clenched, and I feared he might explode. His worry wasn’t misplaced, but it wasn’t helping either. I reached out to him weakly, my fingers brushing against the fabric of his sleeve. “Emerson,” I whispered, my voice b
Isabel’s POVI could feel there was an unspoken chemistry building between Caleb and Margot. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but I could tell that Caleb was starting to focus his attention elsewhere. Maybe it was just my imagination. But I hoped it would take the edge off his lingering feelings for me.It wasn't that I disliked Caleb—he had been a constant presence in my life for so long. Always reliable, always there. But his feelings for me… I was certain they were just an illusion. At least, that’s what I told myself. He was clinging to memories from the past, to a version of me that no longer existed. I believed he would eventually realize what real love looked like, and it certainly wasn’t bound by the past. I didn’t point it out to him; he had to figure it out on his own. Love wasn’t something that could be forced.As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, Emerson returned with food, breaking through the quiet. He didn’t ask what Caleb and I had been talking about, thank
Isabel’s POV“Wait a minute… What?!” My breath caught. “You met Alistair?” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. I stared at Caleb, dread twisting in my stomach. “Did he… Did he recognize you?”Caleb shook his head, his expression grim. “No, he didn’t. He doesn’t know me, which worked in my favor.”I studied him carefully. His hair was still disheveled from the night before, and his shirt bore faint stains of spilled liquor. He looked like someone who had been in a fight—not just with others, but within himself.“In your favor? How?” I asked.“He didn’t really notice me,” Caleb began, leaning against the windowsill. “I was at the bar. Just trying to... clear my head, I guess.”“I figured as much,” I said with a faint smile, gesturing at his clothing. Caleb cringed, and I felt a pang of guilt for my impulsive remark. “Please, continue,” I added, my voice softer now.“Then I saw him—Alistair,” Caleb continued. “He came strutting in like he owned the place, two barely-dressed showgirl
Isabel’s POV“Oh…” I groaned, shifting against the pillows as I struggled to sit up. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and my limbs felt like lead. Before my vision could fully clear, I noticed two figures looming over me—Emerson and Caleb, their faces tight with concern.“Isa, are you okay?” Emerson’s voice was taut, barely masking his worry.“Do you need anything? Water? The doctor?” Caleb added quickly, his words tumbling out in a rush.It took me a moment to register their presence fully, my foggy mind finally catching up with reality. Emerson stood with his usual rigid posture. But Caleb’s appearance caught me off guard. His hair was unkempt, sticking out in every direction as if he hadn’t slept. The clothes he wore were crumpled, the same ones from yesterday. He smelled like beer and cigarettes.And, most concerning, there was a fresh bruise darkening the corner of his mouth. His pallor was sickly, his eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion and… guilt?“Caleb,” I said hoarsely, my su
Emerson’s POVI must have drifted off in the chair beside Isabel’s bed, exhaustion finally overtaking me. The steady rhythm of the machines and her breathing had lulled me into a restless sleep. But then, her soft mumbling pulled me from the haze of slumber. Incoherent words tumbled from her lips as she stirred against the sheets.The moment I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong.The first thing I noticed was the heat radiating off her. She was drenched in sweat. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. My heart sank as I realized something was terribly wrong.“Isa, wake up. You have a fever!” I whispered frantically, my voice trembling. I gently shook her shoulder. But her head lolled to the side. “Fever?” she muttered, struggling to regain consciousness.Panic surged through me like a lightning strike. I hit the emergency call button. The shrill beep echoed in the room as I pulled her into my arms. Her body was frighteningly hot, and her face was flushed to an alarming shade of
Isabel’s POVCaleb swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he struggled to form words. His face had gone pale. His usual self-assured demeanor was crumbling before me. "I... I understand," he said at last, his voice barely a whisper.I exhaled, turning away from him. The weight of the conversation felt suffocating. “Good,” I said curtly. “Then we have nothing more to discuss.”The words felt cold, even to me. But I couldn’t bring myself to soften them. My emotions were frayed, and I needed space. Walking to the window, I gazed out at the darkening sky. The fading light painted the horizon in shades of purple and orange, but its beauty did little to soothe the storm raging inside me. My heart felt heavy—with guilt for hurting Caleb, with frustration for the mess we were all entangled in.Behind me, Caleb shifted uncomfortably. “I never meant to hurt you or anyone else, Isa,” he said, his tone low and weighted with regret.I didn’t respond, letting the silence stretch between us.
Isabel’s POV“Excuse me? Are you threatening me, Caleb?” My voice was sharp, tinged with disbelief. The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth, but his behavior left me no choice. Caleb stood there, his head hung low. As though the weight of my accusation had crushed him.He didn’t respond right away. His lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “No, Isabel. I wouldn’t threaten you.” His voice was low, almost broken. “But... I can’t pretend anymore.”“What are you talking about?” I asked cautiously, my heart beating faster.Caleb’s shoulders slumped, and he took a hesitant step toward me. “I’m jealous, okay?” His voice cracked on the last word. “I’m jealous of him, whoever he is. I thought... I thought I had a chance, Isa.”I stared at him, stunned. “What?”“When you divorced Emerson,” he began, his words tumbling out in a rush, “I thought—at least—I could stay by your side. Even if it was just as family. I told myself that was enough. But if yo
Isabel’s POVMy eyes widened as I studied the photo. Its edges were worn as though it had been handled countless times. I reached out instinctively, my fingers trembling as they brushed the air between us. "Where did you get this?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended.Caleb stepped back quickly, moving the photo away from me with a smooth, deliberate motion. His eyes met mine. For the first time, there was something unfamiliar in his gaze—something secretive. My stomach twisted. Was Caleb more involved in these conspiracies than I thought? Could I still trust him?“Caleb,” I said, my voice lowering as I stepped closer, “give it to me.”I tried to reach for the photo, which he now held high above his head. He was much taller than me, so I jumped to reach it. “Caleb! This is not a game. Give that photo to me, now! You have no idea what you’re doing,” I said through gritted teeth, my voice raising with each word.But Caleb shook his head. A sly smile played at the corners of h