Romans de Christie's

Isabella's POVI was lying down around eight that night when a knock hit my door. I wasn't expecting anyone.Who could it be at this hour?I sat up on the bed. The knock came again, harder this time.I got up and opened the door slowly.Adrian stood there with several of his security men behind him."Adrian, you shouldn't be here like this—""I've decided." He pushed past me into the apartment. I backed away instinctively, my heart slamming against my ribs. "I've decided what will happen," he said."What are you talking about?"He reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, tossing it onto my counter like it weighed nothing. My hands shook as I unfolded it, and it took a moment for the words to make sense.A marriage license. My name. His name. Already signed."No." I looked up at him, certain I'd misread it. "Adrian, what is this?""You're going to marry me.""Have you lost your mind?" The words came out sharper than I meant them to, but I was past caring. "You

Isabella's POV"What are you doing here?""I came to see you," he whispered.I don't know how long he'd been standing at my door. Minutes. Hours. Before I could get another word out, he pressed a finger to my lips.I shoved his hand away. My mouth is wide open."Don't. Don't shout, or I swear I'll do something you'll regret."I went still, waiting to see what he'd come for.He looked at me steadily. "You finally got what you wanted. She's gone. After you attempted to kill her.""I never touched her." My voice came out sharper than I meant it to. "Adrian—"He didn't let me finish. "How long have you wanted him?" He turned on me so fast I stumbled back a step. "How long have you been waiting for Scarlett to disappear so you could take her fiancé, her life, everything that was hers?""What are you talking about?""Don't." His palm slammed against the wall beside my head, not touching me, but close enough that I felt the air move. I froze. "Everyone says the same thing, that you've hat

Isabella's POV"You don't even know what happened, and you're standing here holding onto me like this?" I snapped, twisting against his grip. "Let me go!"That's when the security men stepped out of the doorway. Mark Donald moved between us, calm and immovable."Mr. Ashford." His voice cut through the tension. "She's not the one you should be shouting at. She's the one who found her sister and called for help.""You need to investigate this properly before accusing her.""Is she your fiancée?" Mark asked, glancing at me."Yes."Adrian's eyes didn't leave mine, even as his jaw ticked with the effort of holding himself back. He didn't apologize. He didn't soften. He just turned, sharp and cold, and stalked toward the operating room doors like he could force them open through sheer will alone.I watched him go and felt something crack quietly in my chest.He hadn't asked if I was okay. He hadn't noticed the blood on my hands, or the way I was still shaking, or that I'd been the one scr

Isabella's POVI looked around, searching for anyone close enough to help. There was no one. She was alone. We were alone.I don't remember hitting the marble. I just remember being on my knees beside her."Scarlett!" Her face was pale, slack, her dark hair spread out like something from a nightmare, her legs twisted at an angle that made my stomach turn."Someone call an ambulance!" My voice was shaking, it didn't sound like mine. "Please, somebody call—" People started gathering. Some pulled out their phones. Some filmed. Some just stared.I grabbed her hand. Warm. She was breathing. That was the only thing keeping me from falling apart."Stay with me, Scarlett," I begged her even though she couldn't hear me. "Please. Don't do this to me. Stay."That's when I heard it, a voice behind me, sharp with accusation."She did this." A murmur, then louder. "She did this to her."I turned and saw Mira, Scarlett's friend, the one who'd never looked at me without disdain. She was pointing at

Isabella's POVI spent my whole life believing that when Adrian and I finally met again, he would call me his wife.That was the promise. That was supposed to be our story.But the story changed into something I never saw coming.What bothers me most about Adrian is that he never asks questions. He doesn't wait to hear the truth. And even when he does listen, he only believes whatever version reaches him first. He assumes. He never digs deeper. That's what scares me about him.We made that promise as children, the day his parents came to take him away from his grandfather, Ryan. Since then, every day of my life has circled back to one question: where can I see Adrian again? Those grey eyes. That face I refused to forget.Some nights, I'd climb into bed and hug my pillow like it could replace him. It happened more times than I'd admit to anyone.Then came the gala night in Manhattan.I went with my sister, Scarlett, who was in the middle of a messy breakup with her ex, Marcus Vane. He