Isabel’s POVEmerson's words and reactions were unsettling. The way he’d pinpointed my claustrophobia, even tracing it back to when it began, left me bewildered. How had he known? And why did he look so sorrowful? His usually cold blue eyes held an unusual softness as he sat there. His hands were tangled in his hair. He was staring up at me with an expression that almost made me falter.Almost.But I couldn’t let myself be swayed by him. Not again. Emerson had hurt me too deeply. He had cut me in ways that left permanent scars. The look in his eyes might have touched me once. But now, I felt nothing more than a fleeting shadow of what I had once felt for him. I couldn't afford to let down my walls. Not again. Not with the man who had shattered my heart beyond repair.I ignored his question, refusing to give him the satisfaction of prying into my pain. All I wanted was to leave, to put as much distance between us as possible. But as I sat up and started gathering my things, Emerson w
Isabel’s POVI stared at Emerson in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. What did he mean? The ruby necklace my mother had left me—how could it be on the auction list? My mind struggled to process the words that had just come out of his mouth.I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “That can’t be right,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I never sold it… I would never…” My words trailed off as memories of my father’s bankruptcy hit me hard. So many things had been taken, sold off. But not that necklace. It was the only thing I had left of her.I clenched my fists, trying to control the wave of emotions that surged through me. "The break-in at my father's house," I muttered to myself, piecing it together. “It must’ve been stolen then.”Just a few days ago, the police had called me about a break-in. “Ma'am, I’m sorry, the thief ran away, but nothing valuable seemed to have been stolen.” the police said. There wasn’t much left since the bankruptcy. But I totally forgot about
Isabel’s POVEmerson’s words hit me like a hammer. The realization of what he was saying made my heart sink. If I wanted to reclaim my mother’s necklace, I would have to go through bankruptcy all over again.The thought made my stomach twist with anxiety. “I need to think,” I murmured. My voice was barely audible, as if speaking louder would make the situation more real.Emerson nodded, his expression unreadable. “Take your time. But remember, the auction won’t wait forever.”As he left the room, I sank into the chair, feeling the exhaustion wash over me. My mind raced with possibilities. Each one seemed more futile than the last.My mind was a storm of thoughts.
Isabel’s POVIt was absurd. Show him weakness? Why would I ever do that again? Emerson's question echoed in my mind, stirring a mix of anger and disbelief. Were my worries about money not enough to satisfy his cruel heart?I had begged him for help before. Each time had only deepened the wounds he’d already inflicted. How could he even ask such a question now? How could he expect me to show weakness, after everything that happened?I took a deep breath, trying to steady the tumult of emotions swirling inside me. I had to keep my walls up. I had to protect myself from his twisted mind games. I couldn’t give him any power over my heart ever again.“I may not be as rich as you,” I began, my voice trembling with the effort to keep
Emerson’s POVI was at the hospital with Isabel, again. Isabel was sitting on the bed. Her eyes were distant. She was clearly lost in thought.I watched her for a moment, the way her fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of the blanket. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of something—guilt? Regret?It was hard to tell these days. My emotions were a tangled mess whenever I was around her.I decided we could both use a cup of coffee, so I stepped outside into the hallway. While I waited at the coffee machine, I reached into my pocket. I pulled out my phone and sighed as I saw the screen light up with missed calls and messages.Most of them were from Lilith. I could almost hear the ange
Isabel’s POVSeeing Emerson leave so decisively, my heart ached in a way that felt all too familiar. The pain was sharp, as if he had driven a knife deeper into a wound that never seemed to heal.Why did he keep hurting me? Why did I let him?I tried to stand. But as I put weight on my ankle, a sharp pain shot through me. I fell again. I must’ve sprained my ankle.The cold pavement stung against my skin, and the humiliation burned in my chest. I was about to try getting up once more when I heard hurried footsteps approaching."Isabel!" Emma's voice broke through the haze of pain and despair. She knelt beside me, her face etched with worry. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Isabel’s POVI tried to comfort Emma, but my words felt hollow. I told her I was just preparing for the worst, trying to make sense of it all in advance. No one could predict the future, I reminded her. It was a flimsy shield against the gnawing fear that clung to me. I knew she could see through my brave front. But she nodded, her eyes heavy with concern."Isabel, don't talk like that," Emma said, her voice trembling. "You’re not going anywhere. We’ll figure this out together."I forced a smile, though it felt like a thin mask. "I just want to be prepared, Emma. If anything happens to me, I want you to sell the house I got from the divorce. The money should be enough to support my father for the rest of his life."Her face crumpled at my words, but she nodded again. "You know I’ll take care of him. But please, don’t give up. You have to keep fighting."I reached out, squeezing her hand. "I’ll try, Emma. But I need to do this my way."Later, I contacted the auction organizer. My finge
Isabel’s POVLilith's irritation was palpable. Her sharp eyes narrowed, her lips twitching as though she was fighting to hold back a retort. Her fingers gripped the edges of her chair. But before she could spit out whatever venomous words she had prepared, the auctioneer’s voice boomed through the hall.“Ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer announced with a theatrical pause, “Welcome to an evening of rare treasures and timeless pieces. Our collection of items this evening is truly exceptional...”The room grew silent as everyone turned their attention to the stage. Lilith still managed to shoot me one last glare, her gaze like daggers piercing into me. It was a silent accusation, simmering with unspoken threats.As she settled into her seat, I couldn’t shake the feeling of her watching me. Even while pretending to be engaged with the auction, her glances told me otherwise.She wore a stunning evening gown that clung to her curves, the fabric shimmering under the chandelier lights. Her
Isabel’s POVThe room fell into a tense silence as Caleb burst in. His sudden entry and hurried announcement sent a ripple of unease through us all.Caleb’s face was flushed with urgency. His chest was rising and falling as if he had sprinted all the way here.I hadn’t seen him since the kidnapping incident. Aside from the occasional call to check on my condition, he’d been conspicuously absent. It was so unlike him—I couldn’t help but wonder where he had been all this time.Emerson, who had been pacing by the window with clenched fists, turned sharply. His eyes narrowed at the sudden interruption. Robert straightened in his chair, his usual calm giving way to visible curiosity and suspicion. As for me, I felt my heart skip a beat. I was torn between hope and disbelief.“So, Caleb? What’s the good news?” Emerson’s voice was sharp. His frustration at being left waiting was evident.Caleb froze, as though realizing only then that the room was crowded. His eyes darted between me, Emerson
Isabel’s POVThe tension in the air was suffocating. Every day since Emerson discovered Lilith’s body had vanished, we lived in a state of constant vigilance. His paranoia bled into every corner of our lives, infecting even the briefest moments of calm.I sat near the window, watching the late afternoon sun filter through the blinds, its light fractured and fragmented—much like my thoughts. Across the room, Emerson was pacing furiously, his phone pressed to his ear. His voice, sharp and demanding, echoed off the walls.“Find out who took her,” he growled. “I don’t care how long it takes or what resources you need—just get me answers.”He paused to listen, his jaw tightening.“No clues? That’s not an excuse. If you fail, you know the consequences.” His tone dropped, cold and deadly.I winced, my stomach twisting at his words. When he finally ended the call and threw his phone onto the nearby table, the silence that followed felt heavier than his anger."You shouldn't take it out on yo
Lilith’s POVAt first, there was only darkness. A deep, endless abyss of darkness.Was I… dead? The thought clawed at my mind. No. There was too much pain. Dead people didn’t feel pain.Then, I noticed voices floating around me. They sounded faint and garbled, like a distant conversation submerged underwater."Vitals are stable for now.""Prep the next injection.""Is she conscious? Increase the dosage if necessary."My entire body screamed in protest, every nerve ablaze. I could feel tubes piercing my skin. They constricted my movement, tethering me to something sinister.Blinking against the blinding light above me, I squinted to take in my surroundings. The air was damp and carried a faint metallic tang that reminded me of blood. The walls were dark, almost black, and slick with condensation. As if the place itself was alive, breathing. Machines beeped methodically around me, and shadows moved beyond the sterile glow of overhead lights.A group of people dressed like doctors hovere
Isabel’s POVThe first thing I felt was the dull ache in my body—a reminder of how fragile life had become. The second was the warmth of sunlight seeping through the blinds. And the third… voices. Faint, low, tense voices.My eyelids fluttered open.. The sterile white walls of the hospital room greeted me. Two figures stood beside my bed—Emerson and Robert. They were speaking in hushed tones. But their strained expressions said more than words ever could. I shifted slightly. The movement immediately caught their attention. Both men turned to me. Their faces reflected a mix of relief and concern.“You’re awake,” Robert said softly, moving closer. Emerson lingered, his arms crossed, his jaw tight.“What… happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse. My fingers instinctively went to my head, brushing over my scalp. No surgical bandages. A pang of worry shot through me. “Didn’t I… have the surgery?”Robert hesitated, exchanging a glance with Emerson. The air was thick with something unspoken, an
Emerson’s POVAs I stared at Robert, a bitter mix of anger and frustration churned within me. The man was a walking contradiction—so self-righteous yet willing to play dirty when it suited him. Hypocritical, just like… me.I still remembered our conversation a few days ago, his unwavering confidence as he had backed me into a corner.“What do you want?” I had asked him, trying to mask the unease in my voice.“Hand over Isabel’s father,” he had replied without hesitation.The audacity of it had been enough to stun me into silence. He claimed Mr. White was my last leverage over Isabel, accusing me of using her father to control her. That was laughable, but not entirely untrue. His conditions weren’t exactly something I’d used against her. But I couldn’t deny how much of a liability he had become.Robert, though, had offered a trade: If I let him take over Mr. White’s care, he wouldn’t tell Isabel that I had let Lilith go. At the time, I had expected him to take the credit for it. That
Emerson’s POVI woke to a dull, pounding ache in my abdomen. The sensation dragged me out of a foggy, restless unconsciousness. My first instinct was to sit up, but the sharp sting in my side reminded me of the blade Lilith had plunged into me.Lilith. The memory slammed into me—her crazed smile, the sickening thud of her collapsing body, and Isabel’s worried cries. Isabel.Her name echoed in my mind, sharp and consuming. It drowned out everything else. A surge of panic shot through me, chasing away the pain that throbbed in my abdomen. The only thing that mattered now, was finding her.I stumbled out of my hospital room, my hand pressed to my side as if that alone could keep me upright. Each step was an effort. The fear coursing through my veins made me move faster than I should have.I reached her ward, my heart pounding in my ears. The sterile hallway stretched around me, a blur of white and fluorescent light. I knocked on the door with trembling hands, leaning heavily against the
Isabel’s POVI didn’t wait for Robert to finish his sentence. Before he could utter another word, I was already out the door, my hospital gown flapping as I moved. The only thing in my mind was my father, lying vulnerable in his hospital bed. Lilith’s threats from before echoed in my head. Her chilling smile and those venomous words.I had thought her death was the end, but I was wrong.Even in death, she remained relentless. Lilith had always been calculated and cruel—why wouldn’t she have a plan set in motion?I pushed through a throng of medical staff who tried to stop me. Their protests fell on deaf ears. My only thought was reaching my father before it was too late.Their voices were white noise. Their hands pulling at my arms were only fleeting distractions. I couldn't stop. I wouldn’t stop.“Ms. White, you’re not well enough!” one nurse called, panic lacing her tone.“You’ll collapse!” another added.I couldn’t hear them. My body acted on instinct. My legs carried me forward ev
Isabel’s POVThe room was silent, the air thick with unspoken tension. Michael and Robert stood before me, their gazes cautious. As though they were afraid their words had already done enough damage. My thoughts whirled, every revelation settling like a stone in my chest. The betrayal. The misunderstandings. The years of pain.Finally, I broke the silence. My voice was quiet but steady. “Please tell him…”Michael’s brows furrowed. “Tell who?”“Emerson,” I clarified, my gaze meeting his. “If he’s sincere about making things right, then he can’t keep risking his life like this. It’s not just his life anymore. He’s living for Liam now, too.”Michael nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll tell him.”But that wasn’t enough. “And Michael?” I added, my tone sharper. “Make sure he listens. He needs to understand that his recklessness doesn’t only affect him.”“I’ll do my best,” Michael assured me, though there was a flicker of doubt in his expression.Robert cleared his throat, cutting through the h
Isabel’s POVMichael stood in the doorway, his face shadowed by hesitation. His brows knit together as though he were weighing the consequences of speaking. I could see the struggle written plainly in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed as he wrestled with his thoughts.Robert shifted uncomfortably beside me, his disapproval palpable. “Michael,” he interjected, his voice firm. “This can wait. Isabel is about to undergo surgery. She doesn’t need—”“No,” I interrupted, my voice steadier than I expected. “Let him speak.”Robert gave me a look of deep concern but relented. He leaned back in his chair with a resigned sigh. Michael took a breath, stepping further into the room. His expression was apologetic.“I’m sorry, Isabel,” Michael began, his voice low. “I hesitated to bring this up, especially now. But after everything that happened, you deserve to know the truth—about Lilith, about your father, and about what started this whole nightmare.”A chill ran down my spine at his words. I