Sebastian's eyes widened in confusion as he held his phone, staring at the screen. He just received a chilling call from Austin, his voice low and menacing, warning him that if anything happened to Isabel, he would hunt him and make him pay.His mind reeled as he tried to process the threat and make sense of what he was saying.What did Austin mean? Why would he think he would do anything to jeopardize Isabel's safety or cause harm to her?And then like a punch to the gut, it hit him: something must have happened to Isabel!A cold dread crept up Sebastian's spine as he thought about the possibilities. What happened to her, and who could have hurt her?And why would Austin think he was involved? Sebastian's hands shook as he tried to dial Isabel's number, but his fingers felt numb and unresponsive.He dialed her number after he recovered from his numbness, but then it dawned on him that she had blacklisted his number, and that was why he'd stolen Austin's number from Reynolds tablet
Isabel checked her watch impatiently, as she waited to be called into the ob-gyn's office.She had less than an hour left to report to work and had been seated there for the past thirty minutes, but it seemed like it had been an eternity already.Although she was hoping to get accepted for the position she was applying for, she still couldn't afford to get fired from her job at Blue Farm yet.It has been her only source of livelihood for the past three years, and she enjoyed working there too. The free meals the employees are entitled to have been her lifesaver.However, she knew that if by sheer luck, she got accepted for this new position, she would've to quit from Blue Farm.Compared to the free meals and hourly income, this new position came with a lot of incentives, which made it luscious.From the free healthcare to the best hospital in the city, to the free living expenses, from her feeding to her clothes and transportation. Then, there was her monthly allowance an
Out of over two hundred ladies who replied to the ad, Isabel was among the lucky fifty who were selected for the interview.She was thrilled about the news, and begged her manager for an off day, so she could attend the interview.After much begging, the man gave her the permit she needed, to not show up at work on that day.On that day, Isabel dressed her very best, wearing one of Jasmine's hand-me-down tops, and a wide-legged denim she'd purchased for herself about a year ago.Her attire didn't appear suitable for the interview, but the dress she could've worn was destroyed by Jasmine after she borrowed it weeks ago and did not return it until two days ago.The strain on the off-white dress, which she didn't know if it was from coffee or makeup, was impossible to wash off, despite all the cleaning agents she used on it.She had to dump it and wear something else, and although it didn't appear professional, she had no choice.Before Isabel left home that morning, she prepared breakf
Two weeks after the last screening test, Isabel received a mail from the agency.She was at work when she heard her phone buzzed. She pulled out out of her pocket and swiped down the notification bar.There was an email from St. Patrick's Hospital. She needed no soothsayer to tell her it was from the agency, yet she did not open the mail.Her heart pounding, as uncertainty ate her from within.What if she didn't get the job? Does that mean that she will have to go beg Mr. Bernadotte to give her more time to save up his money?Will he agree?What if he doesn't and decide to make thing difficult for her?She wouldn't be surprised if he decide to make things worst for her. She could've agreed to go the easy way, but her pride could not allow her subject her body to such immorality.Now, it doesn't look like she has any choice.Isabel did not bother about thinking what if she got the job. She knew within herself that she'd only made it through the entire process by sheer luck. No
Everything happened so quickly for Isabel, that she lost track of her own life. Immediately after she signed the contract with the agency, she was moved to a new apartment, Unlike how she had expected the apartment to be a penthouse in the city, it was a multimillionaire mansion with an ocean view and it was unlike anything Isabel had ever seen.Whoever this anonymous employer of hers was, she needed no soothsayer to tell her he must be drowning in wealth. Everything she needed, from food and clothes to other necessities, was in abundance. She didn't have to do anything for herself, because two maids were designated to her care. There was a chef, a few cleaners, and bodyguards. The security was very tight, which means there was no unsolicited going out and coming in.The house manager, Madam Magdalene, an older woman in her late forties was there if she needed anything.Isabel was awestruck, yet cautious, because everything seemed too good to be true for her.There were certa
The morning after was a disaster for Isabel.She woke up feeling as if someone had run a truck over her, yet couldn't vividly recall all that happened the night before.The memories were fuzzy, making it impossible for her to give a detailed account of everything that happened, but she recalled the strange heat that overwhelmed her after she finished the soup she was served, the undescribable feeling she felt afterward, and the sharp pain she felt when the man first penetrated her.She vaguely remembered crying and begging him to stop, but he did not. He went on and on until she passed out from exhaustion.She didn't know whether he stopped after that, or continued until he couldn't anymore.Worst of all, she did not even see the man's face.All her senses were jagged, except her sense of feeling and smell, so could only perceive his scent and feel the strength of his powerful thrusts.Why is he so determined to stay anonymous?She kept wondering.Why does he not want to reveal himsel
EIGHT YEARS LATER, Isabel stepped out of the cab, dragging her bag with her. She close the door, thanked the cab driver, before sauntering towards her house. She unlocked the door and went inside the house, heaving a loud sigh of relief. "Home, sweet home." She took off her coat and shoes, keeping them at their designated places, and was about going further into the house, when she recalled she hasn't gone to pick her eight-years-old son, Reynolds, from her neighbor's. "Shit!" She cussed frustrated, returning to the shoe rack to wear her shoes. Before she left two days ago, she had begged her neighbor, Austin, to help her babysit her son, for the time she will be gone. It was the first time she was leaving her son to someone else's care for more than twenty-four hours, and she was skeptical about it, yet did not have any other choice. She didn't want him to skip school, so she begged Austin to help her watch over him. Despite knowing he was safe with Austin, it didn't ease her
Thousands of miles away from Colby, Sebastian Bernadotte, CEO of Bernadotte and Sterling Corporation, was seated in his office, leading a zoom meeting with his investors from Taiwan, when a knock came on the door.He excused himself, telling whoever it was to come in, before he continued speaking with his clients.Zachary, his driver opened the door and waltzed into his office, greeting him.He signaled the man to give him some time to finish up with his meeting, and the man went to sit down on one of the available seats.Sebastian continued with his meeting, explaining to his investors how important it would be for their company globally, if they invested in Bernadotte and Sterling.He would've had his vice president handle this, but he'd to do it himself. They have an ongoing project in Taiwan, and they've been having issues with the Taiwanese government. However, he needed to bag this investment, to use his client's influence as leverage to complete his project in their country.Be
Sebastian's eyes widened in confusion as he held his phone, staring at the screen. He just received a chilling call from Austin, his voice low and menacing, warning him that if anything happened to Isabel, he would hunt him and make him pay.His mind reeled as he tried to process the threat and make sense of what he was saying.What did Austin mean? Why would he think he would do anything to jeopardize Isabel's safety or cause harm to her?And then like a punch to the gut, it hit him: something must have happened to Isabel!A cold dread crept up Sebastian's spine as he thought about the possibilities. What happened to her, and who could have hurt her?And why would Austin think he was involved? Sebastian's hands shook as he tried to dial Isabel's number, but his fingers felt numb and unresponsive.He dialed her number after he recovered from his numbness, but then it dawned on him that she had blacklisted his number, and that was why he'd stolen Austin's number from Reynolds tablet
Unfortunately, Isabel's flight was delayed by a couple of hours, so instead of her leaving Colby by ten p.m., she'd to leave in the evening, because the flight was rescheduled to leave by six p.m.Using the spare time, she supervised the movers, ensuring that they didn't leave anything behind.Austin offered to drive her to the airport, which she agreed to, but shortly before she was to leave, he got a distress call from Jenny's sister, Natalia, telling him that Jenny was being rushed to the hospital."Why?!" Austin panicked,"What happened to her?""She slipped in the bathroom and fell. We are on our way to the hospital now.""Fuck! Which hospital are you taking her to?""Austin, she needs you right now. The paramedic are taking us to the Westmead Hospital, can you come there?""Natie, I can't---""Austin, you've got to go." Isabel, who was listening to the whole conversation, said to him,"Jenny needs you now, Austin, you've got to go to her.""But, I need to drive you to the air
Isabel didn't tell anyone about her plans to relocate, including Austin. She kept them to herself, executing them subtly.First, she began looking for a realtor to put her house on lease, as selling it would arouse suspicion.She contacted one of her neighbors who was a realtor, informing her about her desires to let her house on lease."Are you moving permanently, Ms. Campbell?" Mrs. Parker was surprised,"Yeah...something like that." Isabel smiled nervously,"My sister has lost her husband, and she wants me to come stay with her and her kid in Pasadena. I am thinking of staying there for a longer while.""What about your business here? You're going to close the cafe?""Not really. Toby and Sarah will be handling the place for me." She told the woman,"Okay. I will put it up in the market..we might start getting interested renters by this weekend, hope you don't mind if I bring them to check out the house? And, when are you moving?""I'm selling everything in the house, so it might
Isabel was discharged from the hospital later that day, and was driven home by Austin.The drive from the hospital which was in Seattle, to Colby took about an hour, which to Isabel, it was the longest one hour of her life, and was plagued with different thoughts.The car glided smoothly along the deserted highway, the only sound being the soft hum of the engine and the occasional tick of the turn signal. Austin's eyes were fixed on the road ahead, his expression neutral, while Isabel sat beside him, her face a mask of turmoil.Her eyes stared blankly out the window, her mind reeling with the news they had received from the doctor.The doctor's words echoed in her mind like a cruel joke.How come? When? Why?Isabel was confused, wishing this would all be a nightmare that she can be woken up from. She didn't want to believe the news, but the doctor had showed her evidence. It was indeed true.But, why is this happening to her?She was careful and took her pills religiously, except
Several days past, and Isabel was still struggling to get used to living without her son. There were some mornings she rose very early, fretting about what breakfast to make him, only to be reminded of his absence, by the cold silence coming from his bedroom.One afternoon, she left the cafe and drove down to his former school, only to remember that he was no longer schooling there, when she was almost at the schoolThat day, she cried.She cried so hard, she began to feel lightheaded and nauseous, yet the tears wouldn't stop falling.Her whole body was quivering as if someone had ran her an ice bath on a snowy day, sobs and sniffles escaping from her trembling lips.Isabel had never felt so frazzled like she did that day.After crying herself to stupor for over an hour, she managed to calm her frayed nerves and she drove herself home.She'd wanted to call Austin or one of her employees to come drive her home, but she didn't want them to meet her in that condition, and certainly didn
Several days past, and Isabel was still struggling to get used to living without her son. There were some mornings she rose very early, fretting about what breakfast to make him, only to be reminded of his absence, by the cold silence coming from his bedroom.One afternoon, she left the cafe and drove down to his former school, only to remember that he was no longer schooling there, when she was almost at the schoolThat day, she cried.She cried so hard, she began to feel lightheaded and nauseous, yet the tears wouldn't stop falling.Her whole body was quivering as if someone had ran her an ice bath on a snowy day, sobs and sniffles escaping from her trembling lips.Isabel had never felt so frazzled like she did that day.After crying herself to stupor for over an hour, she managed to calm her frayed nerves and she drove herself home.She'd wanted to call Austin or one of her employees to come drive her home, but she didn't want them to meet her in that condition, and certainly didn
Despite Austin's subtle objection, Isabel accepted the package sent from the delivery guy, and she carried it into the house, but did not open it.She dropped it on the dining table and left without sparing it a second glance."I don't understand why you won't let me deal with the bastard." Austin was still fuming,"He needs to be taught a lesson, after everything he has done.""Austin, I don't want you to get involved in a rivalry with Sebastian. It is not worth it." She advised him,"Sebastian is the worst person you'd want to get into a feud with, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of me.""I am not scared of him, Isabel and you shouldn't be. That bastard wronged you, and he took your son away from him, I don't see why you should be afraid of him." He admonished her,"You've to fight for yourself and for Reynolds. You've got to fight to get your son back. Stand up to that bully.""I can't!" She screamed at him, her voice raised to a crescendo,"Don't you understand tha
Sebastian stood in the hallway, his eyes fixed on the closed bedroom door, Reynolds was knocking against, his mind reeling with regret and guilt. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him.He thought about the look on Isabel's face, the shock, the anger, the hurt. He knew he'd broken her trust, shattered the foundation of their relationship. He couldn't blame her that she hated him, and if she chose to leave him, he deserved worst.Reynolds stopped knocking and turned to him,"Daddy, she won't open the door." The boy inveighed,"What did you do to her?"His eyes dropped to the floor, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his guilt. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of regret, unable to keep his head above water.He wished he could bring himself to tell his sons the truth, but they would hate him even more than Isabel does now. They would despise him, knowing he was the cause of their mother's loss and misery.And once his whole family
Before Sebastian could say anything else, she ended the call, clenching her fist tightly.Isabel was having the strong urge to haul her phone against the wall, but she restrained herself, knowing the damage it will cause the phone, which was purchased barely three days ago.She burst out of her closet, slamming the door behind her. She strode across her bedroom, her feet pounding the floor in frustration. She felt like she was going to explode, her emotions boiling over like a pot left unattended on the stove.She flung open her bedroom door and stormed out into the hallway, not sure where she was going, but knowing she needed to get out of there. In fact, she didn't want to see Sebastian even if he teleported himself home right that moment.That was how mad she was at him.She paced down the hall, her hands clenched into fists, her mind racing with thoughts and feelings she couldn't process.She was livid, but the rest emotions she couldn't process accurately.How dare that bit