CHAPTER 10

Isabella began to pace the small cell, her bare feet cold against the stone-cold floor. Each step echoed in her ears while her heart, this time, was not racing out of fear but anticipation; pure adrenaline was running in her veins. This was the day she would finally meet up with David and see his response to understand that she was no longer the same woman he framed; she was grown up now and had a plan in store.

Isabella steeled herself as the guard came to take her away to the visiting area. Sharp, calculating, her mind went over and over the things she was going to say. David had no idea what was coming, and she wanted to keep it that way. If she could just throw him off, just for a second, that might be enough to get him into some kind of mistake.

She walked into the visitor's room, where he sat already, superbly dressed as always in his suit. He looked every inch the charming successful businessman that he had always been, but Isabella knew better. Under the polished veneer lay a man who had destroyed her life and would stop at nothing to retain that control.

She hauled herself upright and marched towards him, her chin high. She wasn't going to show weakness.

"Isabella," David greeted her smoothly as she sat down across from him. "You look. well."

"Do I?" she asked, her lips curling faintly upward. "I wasn't sure you'd be able to tell from out there."

David's eyes slitted fractionally, barely, but Isabella caught it. Good. That he didn't like she was different today. Today, she wasn't begging for answers, pleading for his mercy. Today, she had power. Not much, but just enough.

"How are you holding up?" he asked full of mock concern. "I've been thinking about your situation a lot lately.

"I bet you have," Isabella returned serenely, reclining in her chair. "Especially since I've done some thinking of my own."

David's smile didn't falter, but there was something cold about it now. "Is that so? What's been bothering your mind?"

Isabella met his gaze, her eyes level. "I've been going back over the details of my case. You know, the ones you tried to bury so.

There it was-the flicker in his expression. She'd hit a nerve. David quickly masked it, his lips curving into a slow, calculated grin.

"I don't know what you mean," he said, his voice smooth as ever. "But if you've been looking into things you shouldn't, that could be… dangerous. For you."

Isabella didn't even bat an eyelash. She was expecting a threat, and she simply wasn't going to let it faze her. "I'm not afraid of you, David. Not anymore."

David leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with menace. "You should be. You don't know what you're playing with, Isabella. One wrong move, and everything you think you know could disappear. Just like that."

His fingers snapped, the sound echoing in the small room.

A shiver coursed down her spine, but she didn't let the nervousness consume her. "Perhaps," she said in an even tone, "but I have lost everything-already-because of you. What else is there left for you to take?"

David's eyes locked on hers, and his pupils dilated. "You don't wanna test me, Isabella. Trust me, you're not ready for what happens next.".

She would have answered, thus David leapt to his feet, hauling on his jacket. He flung one last glacial smile in her direction before he pivoted toward the door. "Consider your next move carefully," he said over his shoulder. "You won't like the consequences.".

Isabella sat staring at the place he had stood, her heart racing within her chest. But not from fear-anger. David was scared, and that meant she was closer to the truth than ever; she had only to figure out how to use it.

Being escorted back to prison, Mary sat on her bed waiting for her with a concerned expression on her face. "How did it go?" she asked the moment Isabella walked in.

Isabella collapsed onto the bed and exhaled deeply. "It went precisely as I thought it would. He threatened me, but still, he's nervous; he knows I'm closing in on something.".

Mary frowned, an eyebrow creasing her forehead in concern. "That means he'll escalate, Isabella-you know how it is with men like him. He won't just sit back and watch you tear down everything he built."

"I know," Isabella replied, her voice not wavering. "But I can't stop now-I'm too close.

Mary's voice was insistent, as she leaned forward, deadly serious. "You have to watch out for yourself. He'll do whatever he has to in order to get himself out-even if it means hurting you-again."

Isabella met her gaze and her jaw firmed with resolution. "Let him try. I am not going to sit in this cell and wait for him to destroy me. Not again.

Just as she had finished saying this, the new prisoner, Jessica, appeared at the bars. She had been quiet most of her time in prison but over the past few days had started to talk more, to open up.

"I overheard your conversation earlier," Jessica said quietly. "About David."

Isabella looked up at her in surprise. "You did?"

Jessica nodded, her eyes darting about with caution and resolution. "I know somebody outside. Somebody who may be able to help."

Mary shot Isabella a disbelieving look sideways. "You trust her?"

"I don't know," Isabella said, studying Jessica intently. "But as things stand now, options are few and between.

Jessica leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "It's dangerous, but if we somehow manage to get a message to my contact, they may be able to dig up something on David-something we can use against him."

The thought alone sent her heart fluttering, knowing how dangerous it was, yet being their best possible lead to bring forth David's corruption.

"What's the plan?" asked Isabella.

Jessica took a moment, then spoke, "I can get word with my contact through someone that I know. They can start making discrete inquiries, perhaps even talk to people that were involved in your case. It's a real long shot, but if we get lucky, we might just find something that blows this whole thing wide open."

Mary stared back into Isabella, deadpan serious. "Are you positive you want to do this? If David finds out…)

"He won't," Isabella returned, aborting her. "We'll be careful."

Mary exhaled in an exaggerated laboring sigh; visibly torn, she said, "This is a huge risk, Isabella. If anything goes wrong…

"I know," he said in a low tone, while knowing full well the wheels were already churning in her brain. "I am just not supposed to sit around doing nothing. This might be my only chance at clearing my name.

Mary finally nodded, a tinge of worry yet upon her face. "Okay. But we have to be smart now. No more open talks directly. We need to start with the codes and see your back. David is not going down without a fight.".

I shall, Isabella replied, though her mind was already racing ahead to what she should do next. Willing to try this, by no means did she know whether it would even work. For the first time in very long time, she felt like she gained ground.

As Jessica disappeared and Mary turned to look at her once more before she disappeared into her cell, Isabella sat back onto her bed and started staring at the ceiling. Now she was walking a tightrope, balancing hope and fear. But one thing she knew for sure-she wasn't going to let David win. Not this time.

She would fight, no matter the cost.