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CHAPTER 23.
publish date:
2026-07-23 02:38:16
Latest chapter
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 24.
DARE'S POVI hadn't slept. Not because of the deal, not because of Voss's signature still hanging in the balance, but because of the sound of Isla's voice through a bathroom door, quiet and wrecked, telling me she didn't know what to do with me. I didn't know either. That was the problem with mornings after nights like that — the truth didn't go anywhere. It just sat there, waiting to be dealt with in daylight."You're quiet," Finn said, falling into step beside me as we crossed the marble lobby of Voss Industries. He'd flown in overnight, summoned the moment I realized Camille's appearance hadn't been a coincidence I could afford to ignore. "Which usually means something's wrong.""Nothing's wrong.""Right." Finn glanced past me to where Isla walked a few paces back, composed, professional, giving nothing away except the faint shadow under her eyes that told me she'd slept about as well as I had. "You two look like you both survived a car crash.""Focus on the deal, Finn.""I am." He
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 23.
ISLA'S POVHe didn't stop walking until we were three floors up, inside the suite, the door shut against the sound of a dinner party that had probably already moved on to gossiping about us. The wine had dried stiff against my dress, sticky and cold, and my hands hadn't stopped shaking since Camille's laugh had chased us out."Who is she?" I asked, before he'd even set down his jacket.Dare didn't answer straightaway. He crossed to the window, back to me, shoulders drawn tight like he was holding something in by sheer will. "No one you need to worry about.""That's not an answer, that's a dismissal." I pulled at the ruined fabric clinging to my stomach, half out of discomfort, half because I needed something to do with my hands that wasn't reaching for him. "She grabbed me, Dare. In front of everyone. And you looked at her like—" I stopped, because I didn't have a word for how he'd looked at her. It was something underneath anger."Like what?""Like you knew exactly what she was capab
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 22.
ISLA'S POVThe hotel suite Dare had booked was the kind of beautiful that made you feel poor just standing in it. Marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a coastline turning gold with evening light, a walk-in wardrobe someone had already filled with clothes in my size. I hadn't asked how. I'd stopped asking how anything worked in Dare's world.I was still staring at the view when his voice came from the doorway."There's a dinner tonight. Voss and her board. You'll come as my date."I turned to him. He'd changed into a charcoal suit that made him look carved rather than dressed, and he said it the way he said everything now — not a request, an instruction with my name attached."No," I said."It wasn't a question.""Then ask me a real one sometime and see what I say." I crossed my arms. "I'm not a prop for your business dinners, Dare.""You're my assistant." His eyes didn't move off mine. "This is work.""Work doesn't require me on your arm in front of people who'll assume
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 21.
ISLA'S POVMonday morning arrived grey and reluctant. I stood in my room, staring at the suitcase yawning open on my bed, half-packed with the business attire Dare had commanded me to wear and the single black dress I'd added out of spite—not for him, I told myself. But for me. Because I refused to walk into his world looking like I needed his approval.My phone buzzed. It was Thea."Are you actually doing this? Spain? With him?"I typed back with shaking fingers. "It's business. I'll be fine.""Isla. You've never been fine where Dare Blackthorne is concerned. Not once."She wasn't wrong, but I didn't have the energy to admit it. I zipped the suitcase shut and dragged it to the door, the wheels catching on the threadbare carpet I'd meant to replace for months. Everything in this flat was held together with good intentions and not enough money. Spain, at least, would be a different kind of cage—gilded, cold, but not mine to maintain.Mum called just as I reached for my coat. "You'll ri
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 20.
ISLA'S POVThe weekend had been my sanctuary in the chaos. After the whirlwind of the gala, the explosive confrontation at Mum’s restaurant, I’d carved out quiet plans: a Saturday morning at the farmer’s market with Mum, afternoon tea with Thea to catch up on things we missed about each other and a peaceful Sunday buried in a book with no Blackthornes in sight. A fragile thread of control in a life that felt increasingly like a chessboard.My phone buzzed twice in quick succession as I curled up on the couch, a cup of chamomile tea cooling on the side table. There were two messages, from two different worlds colliding."Julian: Isla, I’ve missed you. Prepare something beautiful for Saturday evening. I’ll pick you up at 7.""Dare: Spain trip confirmed. Official meetings on the Voss restructuring, for one week. Prepare accordingly—business attire and evening wear. Car will collect you Monday morning. This is non-negotiable, Isla"Anger flared in me, hot and immediate. I stared at the s
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 19.
DARE'S POVThe rain hammered the windshield as my driver navigated the winding roads toward Finn’s secluded townhouse on the outskirts of London. My blood still boiled from the confrontation in my father’s study. Victor’s threats echoed like a death knell— send her away—and Julian’s smug face haunted every shadow. I needed clarity, strategy, and someone who understood the machine I was trapped in without being another cog in Victor’s wheel.Finn Carlisle had been that someone since Spain. My right hand. My brother in arms through the darkest deals and sleepless nights. He opened the door before I could knock, his sharp eyes reading my expression instantly.“Dare. You look like you just walked out of a war zone. Get in here.”I shrugged off my damp coat and followed him into the warmly lit study. Books lined the walls, a fire crackled in the hearth, and a half-empty glass of whiskey waited on the side table—Finn always seemed prepared for my storms. I poured myself a generous measure a
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 5.
ISLA'S POV I stood up slowly, the earlier humiliation fueling my own fire. “Working, Julian. Something I desperately needed to do.”He crossed the distance in three long strides, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward a quieter corner near the massive windows overlooking London’s skyline. “I told y
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 4.
ISLA'S POVThe ring on my finger felt like ice.I stared down at it, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it over the low hum of the restaurant. My mouth had opened, the word “yes” balancing on my tongue like a white flag. I was tired of fighting. I was jobless, terrified fo
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 3.
ISLA'S POV I stared at the imposing glass tower of the Blackthorne Group, my stomach twisting into knots. The morning sun glinted off the building like a mocking smile, reminding me exactly where I stood—far below the people inside.Swallowing my pride tasted like ash. Yesterday, after the disaste
Between Two Brothers CHAPTER 2.
ISLA'S POVThe morning sun filtered through my bedroom curtains, but I couldn't bring myself to face it.I hadn’t told my mother about losing my job yet. When she had called me early this morning, her voice bright with the bustling sounds of her restaurant kitchen in the background, the truth choke
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