Hi, Guys.
Before starting this reading, I am here to let you know that this book has a sequel called "Heaven Out Of Hell". On my page, you could already find the first 12 chapters. It's a continuation of the main story, but also some other surprises, that have nothing to do with this book. So, it is a partial sequel. Keep an eye on my profile.
Strange noises woke Isabelle who was sleeping in a room on the second floor. She could hear muffled screaming coming from one of the rooms on the same floor. Very curious to know what was going on, she got up from her bed and, with a very insecure walk, she approached the door and opened it very carefully. The room where the voices and the screams were coming from, was the library, the room where her father was usually working. Slowly, as she was approaching the source of all the yelling, the voices became much clearer and she started to understand certain parts of the discussion that was happening. There was a loud thud as if someone inside was desperately fighting to get out of the room. It was still difficult to understand to whom the voices she heard belonged, Isabelle was still very far away, but she was sure that they were those of a man and a woman... The man had to be most certainly her father. The library was his ‘quiet place’; nobody except her obviously, had permission to enter, unless he was being present there.
The library’s door opened suddenly. The girl got scared and hid in the darkest corner of the corridor. The screaming was much louder now, so she sat on the hard floor, clutched her knees, pulled them to her chest, and forbade herself to shout or to move. No one had to know that she was awake and she was ‘spying’ on her father.
“Andrew, I decided to go away, to leave you. I can no longer live in the same house as you. Here I'm feeling suffocated! Your very presence doesn’t let me breathe! Besides, our marriage has been falling apart for months and the only thing that you’re interested in at this moment is how to save your precious company.”
The women's voice she was hearing was… her mother’s, Michelle. Andrew Baldwin was her father, the person Isabelle loved most in her life. Isabelle wished to get up and go to them, but something, some invisible force, held her bolted to the floor. After a few seconds, she heard her father's voice. But it wasn’t the same voice filled with tenderness and love that he always had when they were talking about what had happened to her during the day at school or to him at work when they were going on their walks to the park enjoying a good ice cream, or when they were going out for dinner and theatre. His tone was totally changed...
"What the hell are you saying?" he shouted and the girl stepped away even further, disappearing into the darkness. “Tell me you're kidding, please! I am working day and night for you, for our daughter, to give you a good life without cares and fears. The company is our biggest source of income, you know it well. Thanks to our company, you have always had lots of money to travel to Paris or Milan thanks to our company, you could buy all the jewels you've always wanted. Being rich and being part of the high-society has been your dream since our first date. But to have all this, I have to work hard. I don't understand why you're complaining…" Andrew took her arm and pulled her strongly towards him. “Tell me what's really going on, Michelle! I can't believe you're doing this to me! Tonight, at dinner, you seemed very happy… as I hadn't seen you in months!”
"I was happy because I had finally decided to leave you, to go back on living all by myself without other responsibilities than taking care of myself!" his wife replied, trying to free herself from his grip. “Andrew, you're squeezing my arm too tight and you're hurting me. The two of us don't work anymore, you have to accept it and get over it!”
“Michelle, no couple is perfect, you know it as well as I do. Being in a marriage, taking care of a family, is a job that lasts a lifetime. There may be some misunderstandings between a husband and a wife. Do you have any idea of how many people are having the same problems? But they stay together and fight to get to the other side!”
“I don't care what happens to other people! Andrew, we don’t have anything else in common, except this house, a daughter, some friends and, occasionally, when you manage to drag yourself out of this room, our marital bed,” she added, still trying to free her arm from his grasp.
What was happening between her parents?! Why did her mother want to go away from them? Why did she want to leave her father? Isabelle told herself that she had to find a way to stop her, she had to make her mother understand the mistake she was about to make. She couldn't leave alone her father, not right now when he needed her so much. Michelle couldn’t abandon her, not at this age when she needed more than ever a female figure in her life. The young girl tried to get up again, but a ray of light showed Isabella her father's face and she stood there, completely frightened. His eyes were filled with rage and his hair was uncombed. He seemed out of his mind. She covered her mouth because she didn’t want to scream or to let her parents know that she was there. But she really wanted to run to them and try to put an end to their fight.
“I will never let you leave me and go away from this house! Have I made myself clear?” he said through his clenched teeth, treading every single word.
"Really?!" Michelle looked at him and started to laugh totally dismissive. "I am not your slave, Mr. Baldwin, we no longer live in the 1800s. I would like to remind you that you are not my master, you never were. What can I do to make you understand how much your words and your yelling aren't scaring me? Ah, yes, I know. Well, in the next five minutes, I will pack my suitcase and leave you and this house forever. I will do it with or without your permission."
Andrew released her arm from his grasp and nervously ran his fingers through his hair, further disheveling it. He couldn't lose her… Not now when he was about to do the fusion with "Grayson Tech". Although there were no longer the same feelings between Michelle and himself, the same love that they had at the beginning of their relationship, Andrew still needed her, needed her strength. Well, she wasn’t the perfect wife or the perfect mother, she never was, but he grew accustomed to her mood swings. Michelle could be a woman full of love and tenderness at first and change within seconds, becoming extremely cruel and aggressive. The way she looked at him, the tone in which she just spoke to him, the arrogance she was showing at this moment, was making Andrew go out of his mind with rage. He had to try to stay calm before doing something he would regret later.
Isabelle felt the pain in her father's voice and she would’ve done anything to chase this pain away. Her mother wanted to abandon them... Her family was crumbling in front of her and she didn't know what to do to stop this. What could she tell Michelle to make her change her mind?“I've said everything I had to say, Andrew. I will take only a small suitcase with me. I'll have the rest sent to me at my new address in a few days. Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll talk to my lawyer. I suggest you do the same thing. Once the divorce is finalized, I think I'll go back to New York,” Michelle said and started going down the stairs. Isabelle abandoned her hiding spot and started walking in the direction of her parents. She had to say something too, she was also a
Silent, perfectly still, overwhelmed by the pain she had been struggling with for so long every day, Isabelle was looking in awe at the view that was unfolding before her clear blue eyes. She had learned to love this vast, infinite land, and the ocean that was kissing the sandy beach a few meters away from her. She and her father had come to live at the ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ after the accident in whichher mother lost her life and send her father tothe hospital. Isabelle closed her eyes and for the umpteenth time, the things that happened after that terrible night came back to haunt her. The day before Andrew left the hospital against Dr. Jones's recommendation, one of the detectives who had followed the Baldwin case told him that he and Isabelle would be able to return to their home si
Seven years have passed since that night and her father's mental health become worse. Andrew got much more impulsive and nervous. Staying at the Graysons' ranch had turned out to be a good thing, at least it had offered Isabelle plenty of places to run and hide when her father was acting like a mad man. Her father's company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy before the accident, was sold to Chris Grayson. A good amount of money got into Andrew's account, enough to buy for both of them security and comfort. The thought of having so much money was always soothing for Andrew. The other thing that was bringing him a certain peace was a crazy idea that he was having for a few years now and that he let slip to Isabelle in one of his ‘good’ moments. He was trying to push her toward William, Christopher's son, telling her that he woul
"What are you doing?" She asked nervously. "Get out of my way and let me go immediately," she said, blinking nervously. The man continued to stare at Isabelle, measuring her from head to toe, and began to smile. The color of his hair, his face, his piercing grey eyes... his smile. Isabelle had a strong feeling that she already saw him. But she didn't know when or where. She tried to escape, but he stopped her again.“Who are you? What do you want from me?” she yelled, keeping her scared horse at bay."The last time I saw you I didn't notice your temper... You’re so fiery, I like it!" He replied and started to laugh. “I remember you werequiet as a mouse and so... submissive. Come on, stop pretending, you know very well who I am. As far as what I want f
Marie Grayson was staring at Isabelle from the living-room’s window. The girl was very friendly and quite playful with her granddaughters and the girls immediately took a liking to her. She was very glad that Andrew had accepted her proposal. His young girl had to get out of the ranch and build a life far from her despot of a father. She remembered Isabelle at her mother's funeral. She was so lost, so timid, almost afraid to open her mouth and speak out. Initially, Marie had thought that all this sudden shyness was the result of her mother's loss. Isabelle had never been a shy, silent,fearful girl, but quite the opposite. Marie knew Michelle, she used to visit the Baldwins often, and sometimes Isabelle kept them company. Isabelle that she knew was a girl that was talking a lot and she always had arguments to support ev
Billy went to the window to take a closer look at Isabelle. He couldn't deny that the seven years that had passed had turned her into a gorgeous woman. She had beautiful dark long hair that she held tight in a ponytail, she was tall, with a fabulous body even though the clothes she wore wasn’t doing her justice. A pair of jeans, a checkered shirt, and a pair of white sneakers weren't exactly the right clothes to highlight Isabelle Baldwin's beauty. Billy smiled when he saw her be tickled by Frannie and Diana. Her laugh was so wonderful, so genuine. Isabelle would have had his full attention.“Son! Billy!” His father's voice brought him back to reality and stopped his train of thoughts about the new babysitter. He put his serious face on again before turning to look at his parents.
After they changed their clothes with beautiful pajamas, Isabelle accompanied Marie and the girls to the kitchen where they chose what they wanted for dinner. Marie asked the cook to prepare dinner for two more people and then joined Isabelle at the table. While Frannie and Diana finished eating, the two women were drinking iced tea waiting for them. The little ones kept talking, making Isabelle smile."I'm so glad you agreed to stay for dinner, my dear," Marie said, putting the dirty dishes in the sink. Isabelle got up from her chair with the intention of washing them, but stopped immediately and sat down again, totally surprised by the amused stare of Marie. She realized that this wasn’t her house, that she didn't have to clean the kitchen or wash the dishes."Excuse me... I always do this at home...