Chapter 55 - The Sharp Edge of Truth

Isabel’s POV

Emerson'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