The next morning, the two sat down to have breakfast together. Isabelle asked him whether it would be okay to leave her luggage at his place while she took care of some matters during the day.He told her she could stay as long as she wanted, but she insisted that she would not bother him further.“Just don’t shy away from asking me if you need anything,” he told her. “You can count on me, Isabelle.”She nodded and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Seth. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay your kindness.”“I would do anything for you,” he told her, staring straight into her eyes.Isabelle remembered when Jacob warned her that Seth wanted to sleep with her. She had always thought that his interest in her had ended in college, but there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. Granted, it wasn’t a bad kind of look.Jacob had made it sound as if Seth’s only interest in her was getting her to bed. But that wasn’t the kind of longing Isabelle saw in his eyes. This one was pure, sincere.An
After the call, Jason left the hospital and headed for the company. Grace had gotten back to him and reported that Isabelle was waiting for him.When he got to the office, he found her waiting at his reception.She stood up when she saw him, gave him an hesitant look–probably because he looked worn out because he hadn’t had time to freshen up–and then said, “Good morning, sir. My director said that you wanted to see me.”Jason nodded, noting that she looked subdued. Approaching her, he said, “I heard that you want to resign.”Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she nodded. “Yes.”He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. “Look, I don’t know what happened when you talked things over with Jacob, but he needs you right now.”Isabelle’s face creased into a frown. “What? You know Jacob?”Jason paused, now thoroughly confused. If she already knew that Jacob was also Logan Larson, then surely, she would make the connection? Unless…Unless she didn’t know?Had Jacob not gotten aro
Isabelle had been prepared to spend every last cent she had and borrow a few more to cover Ruth's funeral costs.What she hadn’t expected was for the Larson Group to more than take care of everything. Did they really give that much condolence money to their employees? It seemed unreal.She was about to leave the vice president's office when she remembered that Logan Larson had wanted to meet her. Now that she was here, and before she went on her leave, she could see him.“Sir, is the CEO around? He wanted to meet me yesterday, but I had an emergency.”The vice president frowned and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “No, he is not available at the moment.”“Oh, okay. I’ll get going, then.”He nodded and walked her to the door.After leaving the company, Isabelle went straight to the hospital to make funeral arrangements. She had tried to get hold of anyone who would be interested in sending Ruth off the previous day.The children’s home Isabelle had stayed at, and where Ruth had
After the doctor left, Isabelle convinced Seth that he didn’t need to stay the night. She was safe now, and she didn’t want to inconvenience him given that he had work the next day.From the look on his face, she could tell that he was deeply worried about her, but he said nothing regarding the news her doctor had just delivered.He told her that he would be there first thing in the morning to see her. She told him he didn’t need to trouble himself, but he insisted.Once he was gone, she was finally able to process what the doctor had said. She was pregnant. With Jacob’s child. She thought they had taken enough precautions when they slept together, but obviously they hadn’t been careful enough. Was it that morning they ditched protection?Whatever had happened, it didn’t matter. She ended up pregnant anyway, and that was what she needed to think about.Whenever Isabelle had thought of having her own family, she had imagined a home with a loving husband and happy kids. She wanted her k
When Isabelle left her hospital room accompanied by Seth, Naomi appeared from behind the corner she was hiding in.She watched the backs of the two as they left, unaware that she had been at the door while they talked, and she had heard everything.Isabelle was pregnant with Jacob’s child? Naomi clenched her teeth and huffed. She was going to do everything she could to make sure that her adoptive sister left the city as soon as she could. Before Jacob woke up, and before Isabelle found out Jacob was actually Logan Larson.Naomi wasn’t going to let her win this time. She was the one who was supposed to marry Jacob in the first place. And now that she knew his real worth, she wasn’t going to let her stupid adoptive sister keep him. If Jacob woke up and found out about the baby…She shook her head. That couldn’t happen. She wanted Isabelle out of his life completely. When he woke up, she would be nowhere to be found. Once Naomi let him know that his wife had eloped with another man, it w
Isabelle had thought she knew what heartbreak felt like. But even when she had caught her ex in bed with her sister, it hadn’t hurt this way. Not even close.All of a sudden, sitting at the kitchen table with her shoulders drooped and her sobbing face in her hands, she realised the true extent of her feelings for Jacob.All along, she had held her feelings for him back because she had known she was lying to him. She hadn’t allowed herself to take a moment to feel their depth. Now…they hit her like a tornado.She was in love with her pretend husband.But it didn’t matter, because she had lost him.She had known from the beginning he didn’t belong to her. She had known a day would come when her deception would come between them. And, she had known she would hate hurting him. But she hadn’t thought she would be left with a broken heart.She squeezed her eyes shut as an image of the photo Naomi had sent her shuttled through her mind’s eye. She couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t bear the thou
Jacob spent the next two days in the hospital and left on Monday. They were the longest two days of his life, and only Jason giving him multiple updates per day about Isabelle’s whereabouts kept him from saying damn it all and leaving against the doctor’s advice.He left the hospital in Jason’s company, with Kevin driving them. It was only a few minutes’ ride to the company, but he felt like it was taking forever.Jacob looked at his watch. It was twenty minutes to nine o’clock. He knew for a fact that Isabelle was already at work because Jason had her department director report to him the moment she showed up.He exhaled heavily. He couldn’t wait to see her face…hear her voice…hold her…If she would let him.He tapped his fingers on his thigh rapidly. The memory of that day at the hospital flashed through his mind. How she had run away from him, and the accusations her sister had made.The fingers on his lap curled into a fist. He refused to believe it. His sweet Isabelle would never
Jacob brushed Seth’s hand off his shoulder, irritated. “Is that any of your business?”“It is,” Seth said, getting in his face. “If you’ve come to cause trouble at her work.”Jacob narrowed his eyes. What did this man know? He had been civil enough during that dinner. Why did he look ready to give him a beating?“If you must know,” he told him flatly, “I’m here to get my wife. Why, do you have a problem with that?”Seth pointed a finger in his face. “You’ll not get anywhere near her.”Jason stepped towards Seth and pulled him back, about to warn him to watch his mouth if he still wanted to keep his job.Seth beat him to it. “Do you know this asshole, Jason?”“Shut up, idiot!” Jason seethed, standing directly between the two men. “What do you think you are doing?”Seth indicated Jacob. “Call security to throw this man out.”“Why would he do that?” Jacob asked, stepping closer and putting a hand on Jason’s shoulder to push him aside.“She ran away from you so you came to cause trouble a
Four Years Later“Mummy!”“Daddy!”“Mummy!”“Daddy!”As the two toddlers rushed through the room trying to outdo each other with the screaming, Isabelle turned away from her laptop and got ready to receive the three-year-old boy who came barreling into her arms.On the other side of the room, Jacob put away the tray of vegetables he was carrying outside to the barbecue just before their daughter barreled into him and wrapped a tiny arm around his legs, the other pointed accusingly towards her brother.“Daddy, Raul is being mean to me again!”Jacob reached down and scooped her into his arms. “Is he? What did he do this time, Ruthie?”Now secure in his mother’s arms, Raul turned to glare at his twin sister. “It was my turn. You never let me have my turn!”“But then you called me ugly!”“Did you call your sister ugly, Raul?” Isabelle asked.He looked at her, blinked, and then shook his head dramatically. “I didn’t.”“You did!” his sister claimed. And then she started crying.Raul stared
Isabelle swallowed nervously and took a step back. “I…we–”“We?” he interrupted, his gaze hardening. “Are you two a couple now?”“Let me explain,” she told him, lifting a hand to slow him down. “I left the apartment that night. I didn’t know there was a storm coming, and that the bus services had been suspended. He saw me at the bus stop.”When she stopped, he arched an eyebrow and asked, “And?”“He took me to his house–”“His house?” he cut her off once again. He paced, his jaw tense. “I knew it. That shameless jerk…” He suddenly changed direction and headed for the door. “I’ll finish what he started right now.”Isabelle rushed after him and grabbed his arm before he got to the door. “I’m not done yet.”“Do I need to hear anything else? If you’ve been living with that man–”“I only stayed for one night,” she told him hurriedly. “I didn’t have time to look for somewhere to move into because of the storm. I stayed just that night, in his guest room. The next day, I got a room in Hillsi
Isabelle frowned. “What was the point of the arrangement, then?”“It was your adoptive parents who wanted a share of the Garcias’ wealth, fame, and glory. The pact was their condition to an old business deal. If they had really wanted to cancel it, I would have obliged them in a second.”“But…they were afraid of your wrath. They acted like there was no way out of the arrangement. Besides Ruth’s issue, that’s why I agreed…they had adopted me and taken care of me. If I could do that one thing for them…” she trailed off and sighed.“Then, it appears that your adoptive father was determined to marry one of his daughters into the Garcia family, come what may. You happened to be the ideal backup when their eldest claimed to be pregnant.”She immediately shook her head. “No, my… Francis would never do that. He…in that household, he was the only one who treated me decently.”“Are you sure he wouldn't? I’m assuming he is the only one who knows the true nature of the marriage agreement. If his
Isabelle couldn’t stop her body from trembling as she hurried to the elevator and pressed the call button. What was he doing here? Why had he come to look for her at her work? He was already with Naomi. Was that not enough to get back at her for lying?Jacob walked past her and pressed the call button for the executive elevator.“We can’t use that one,” she told him.“We can,” he said as the doors opened. He reached for her arm, wrapped his fingers firmly around her, and pulled her into the elevator with him. He pressed the button for the executive floor.“What are you doing?” she asked, attempting to free her arm from his grip.“We’ll talk in my office,” he said, setting a steely gaze on the closed doors.“Office? What are you talking about?”A small part of her was convinced she was dreaming. Or hallucinating. None of this made any sense. She knew Jacob was bold, but this was pushing it. He couldn’t just come to her company and do whatever he wished.He looked down at her, one brow
Jacob brushed Seth’s hand off his shoulder, irritated. “Is that any of your business?”“It is,” Seth said, getting in his face. “If you’ve come to cause trouble at her work.”Jacob narrowed his eyes. What did this man know? He had been civil enough during that dinner. Why did he look ready to give him a beating?“If you must know,” he told him flatly, “I’m here to get my wife. Why, do you have a problem with that?”Seth pointed a finger in his face. “You’ll not get anywhere near her.”Jason stepped towards Seth and pulled him back, about to warn him to watch his mouth if he still wanted to keep his job.Seth beat him to it. “Do you know this asshole, Jason?”“Shut up, idiot!” Jason seethed, standing directly between the two men. “What do you think you are doing?”Seth indicated Jacob. “Call security to throw this man out.”“Why would he do that?” Jacob asked, stepping closer and putting a hand on Jason’s shoulder to push him aside.“She ran away from you so you came to cause trouble a
Jacob spent the next two days in the hospital and left on Monday. They were the longest two days of his life, and only Jason giving him multiple updates per day about Isabelle’s whereabouts kept him from saying damn it all and leaving against the doctor’s advice.He left the hospital in Jason’s company, with Kevin driving them. It was only a few minutes’ ride to the company, but he felt like it was taking forever.Jacob looked at his watch. It was twenty minutes to nine o’clock. He knew for a fact that Isabelle was already at work because Jason had her department director report to him the moment she showed up.He exhaled heavily. He couldn’t wait to see her face…hear her voice…hold her…If she would let him.He tapped his fingers on his thigh rapidly. The memory of that day at the hospital flashed through his mind. How she had run away from him, and the accusations her sister had made.The fingers on his lap curled into a fist. He refused to believe it. His sweet Isabelle would never
Isabelle had thought she knew what heartbreak felt like. But even when she had caught her ex in bed with her sister, it hadn’t hurt this way. Not even close.All of a sudden, sitting at the kitchen table with her shoulders drooped and her sobbing face in her hands, she realised the true extent of her feelings for Jacob.All along, she had held her feelings for him back because she had known she was lying to him. She hadn’t allowed herself to take a moment to feel their depth. Now…they hit her like a tornado.She was in love with her pretend husband.But it didn’t matter, because she had lost him.She had known from the beginning he didn’t belong to her. She had known a day would come when her deception would come between them. And, she had known she would hate hurting him. But she hadn’t thought she would be left with a broken heart.She squeezed her eyes shut as an image of the photo Naomi had sent her shuttled through her mind’s eye. She couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t bear the thou
When Isabelle left her hospital room accompanied by Seth, Naomi appeared from behind the corner she was hiding in.She watched the backs of the two as they left, unaware that she had been at the door while they talked, and she had heard everything.Isabelle was pregnant with Jacob’s child? Naomi clenched her teeth and huffed. She was going to do everything she could to make sure that her adoptive sister left the city as soon as she could. Before Jacob woke up, and before Isabelle found out Jacob was actually Logan Larson.Naomi wasn’t going to let her win this time. She was the one who was supposed to marry Jacob in the first place. And now that she knew his real worth, she wasn’t going to let her stupid adoptive sister keep him. If Jacob woke up and found out about the baby…She shook her head. That couldn’t happen. She wanted Isabelle out of his life completely. When he woke up, she would be nowhere to be found. Once Naomi let him know that his wife had eloped with another man, it w
After the doctor left, Isabelle convinced Seth that he didn’t need to stay the night. She was safe now, and she didn’t want to inconvenience him given that he had work the next day.From the look on his face, she could tell that he was deeply worried about her, but he said nothing regarding the news her doctor had just delivered.He told her that he would be there first thing in the morning to see her. She told him he didn’t need to trouble himself, but he insisted.Once he was gone, she was finally able to process what the doctor had said. She was pregnant. With Jacob’s child. She thought they had taken enough precautions when they slept together, but obviously they hadn’t been careful enough. Was it that morning they ditched protection?Whatever had happened, it didn’t matter. She ended up pregnant anyway, and that was what she needed to think about.Whenever Isabelle had thought of having her own family, she had imagined a home with a loving husband and happy kids. She wanted her k