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~Isabel~ I laughed, but it was a bitter, broken laugh. The sound rang out empty against the plush interior of the jet, I gripped the edges of the table in front of me so tight to hold myself. Shit. I wanted to wrap my arms around my own stomach. My hands twitched with the need to press against my lower abdomen, to shield the tiny life growing inside me. But I forced my fingers to curl into tight fists on my lap instead. With William’s intense gaze burning into me, I couldn’t let him see the movement and connect the dots. My mother had thrown away her education and her future for a hidden pregnancy at eighteen. And here I was, twenty-one, sitting across from the man I loved. Carrying the exact same secret. The realization hit like nausea. Cold and sour, crawling up my throat. I was following in her footsteps without even trying. Falling into the same generational trap, watching the cycle repeat in real time while I sat too powerless to stop it. It was too late now anywa
~Isabel~"Are you going to open the file, Isabel, or are we going to sit here staring at a closed folder for the entire flight to New York?" William asked. His deep voice carried over the sound of the jet engines as I kept staring at the folder.I was delaying. I knew that. But the truth was I was trying to find the courage to read it.I kept my eyes locked on the folder, feeling my hands shake so badly the tremors traveled up my arms and settled deep in my chest. This was the exact nightmare I’d been avoiding ever since my mother started acting like a cornered animal every time Eleanor’s name came up in our conversations.I forced myself to take a long breath, dragging the cool, conditioned air of the cabin into my lungs while I silently told myself I could handle whatever secrets were buried inside these pages.I peeled the cover back. The cabin lights hit a glossy photograph paper-clipped to the very first page, showing a girl with familiar eyes and a wide, unburdened smile that I
~Isabel~"You're going with William for the business conference tomorrow?" she hissed, her voice ringing with intense rage. "What the hell, Isabel? I am the one who should be going on this trip! I am his fiancé! Why do you have to butt your unqualified ass into this matter?"I gave out a sigh, taking a deep breath before looking back up to meet her furious gaze. "Trust me, Juliana, I didn’t ask for this. I was asked to join by William himself. If you have a problem with the arrangement, you should go ask him why he picked me”The words clearly pushed her over the edge. She leaned over my desk with force, placing both of her hands flat on the wood, leaning in until I could see the fury in her eyes."Whatever you do, keep yourself away from William, Isabel," she warned, her voice dropping into whisper. "I have warned you before, and this is my last warning. We are engaged. We are getting married. Stop currying favors from him just because your mother married his father. William woul
~Isabel~Pleasure always came with consequences, and now I was dealing with the crushing weight of it.The mansion had felt suffocating after the heated outburst with the maid down in the laundry room and nerves were shredded. Chloe had later dragged me back up to my bedroom, but the damage was done. Later that night, no matter how much Chloe tried to force me to eat, I couldn't manage more than a few bites of dinner. Every smell made my stomach turn.I spent the rest of the night curled up, snuggling tightly into her body, In the dark, my mind kept playing tricks on me. One moment I was dreaming, and the next I woke up convinced someone was watching me…and that it was William. Then I would blink, the vision would fade, and it was just Chloe. She held me so tightly throughout the entire night, wrapping her arms around me as if I were her own baby.By morning, however, comfort was a distant memory. It was as if my body knew the truth. It was as if I had personally gone looking for t
~Isabel~I turned my attention to Clara, taking a few steps further into the room. Chloe lingered by the door, hanging back out of courtesy."Did you see the pants?" I asked, looking Clara dead in the eye. "I am looking for a flash drive, it was left inside the front pocket of those trousers."Clara crossed her arms over uniform. "I didn't see any flash drive in your clothes. You probably misplaced it somewhere else," she replied, her tone dripped with nonchalance, like I was a toddler throwing a tantrum over a lost toy.I swallowed hard as anger flared in me. "I am sure I left it in my pocket," I stated, emphasizing every word clearly. I retraced my steps from Friday, the memory played clear in my head.I remember touching the outside of my pocket as I walked out of Julian's office, and I felt it right there, there's no way I misplaced it. It didn't fall off. If it had fallen out, I would have heard it hit the floor, and besides, the trouser pocket didn't have a tear. So it must s
~Isabel~ The thought of telling her made my chest ache, but amidst the terror, there was a tiny thread of relief. I didn't know exactly how she would react, but Aunt Joey wouldn't judge me. She was the one person in my life who never did. We hurried up the steps and nearly sprinted down the hallway to my bedroom. The moment I pushed my door shut and locked it, Chloe dumped her bag on my bed, She pulled out the plastic pharmacy bag and threw the five boxes of test strips on the bed. I stared at them. Chloe nudged my shoulder, jerking her chin toward the bathroom. "Go. Take them." "Shit, I hate this," I muttered bitterly, scooping the boxes into my shaking hands. I pushed into my bathroom, the cold tiles chilling me through my socks. I caught my reflection… wide-eyed, and fragile. ‘I can do this… I can’ I told myself. I ripped open the first box, tossing the pack into the sink, unfolded the instruction sheet, I forced my eyes to focus on the tiny print, following
~Isabel~"Okay, thank you. I will be right there immediately."He cuts the call and starts walking towards me. He takes slow, deliberate steps and the weight of his gaze pins me to the spot. I move backwards, retreating until my butt hits the edge of his table. He closes the distance and stops
~Isabel POV~“What? Like you’ve never lied to her before?” William asked, cocking his head to the side and giving me a dirty smirk.I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest. I couldn't help it. I shook my head, my eyes lingering on the sharp line of his jaw. “Okay, okay. You win. Oh, William, you reall
~Isabel~I followed Juliana down the long, bright hallways of the executive wing. The air here felt different, colder, and more expensive. Every few feet, we passed another row of glass offices where people in tailored suits paused their conversations to watch us walk by. I could feel their eyes
~Isabel ~The moment our eyes met, I saw the exact second the memory clicked into place for her. It was like watching a slow-motion crash. Her perfectly arched eyebrows climbed toward her hairline, and her mouth thinned into a hard, pink line.What was the name Willam called her then? Julie? Juli







