LOGIN~Isabel~I woke up the next day to a loud knock on my door. I checked the time, it was 5:00 AM in the morning.Who is waking me up at this time? I quickly went into the toilet to freshen up, then wrapped my nightgown around my naked body as I sleep naked. The thin silk fabric barely offered any coverage against the morning chill.The knock came hesitant again. I walked over to open the door, only to find Williams heavy, huffing like he ran a marathon. He was dressed in a black tee and sweatpants.Before I could get over the shock of him standing at my door at 5:00 AM, he pushed in, forcing me to step back inside as he locked the door."What are you doing here at this time?" I asked.He turned around with a dead look, walking closely toward me. I stepped back with every step he took forward. I can feel he was in a dark mood."Where the fuck did you go to with Jax last night, Isabel?" he questioned as my feet stopped at the bed, I couldn't move further.I wrapped my nightgown tight
~Isabel~"Are you going to answer me, or just stand there moping, young lady?" my mother asked.She stood directly under the chandelier, her arms crossed over her chest, under the bright light I could see the lines of exhaustion on her face.I swallowed hard. "Mom... I was with Chloe…""Isabel, can you see the time, you're with Chloe?" She gestured at the clock on the wall. "It's 10:30 PM, for crying out loud! You think you are an adult now...""I don't think I am an adult, Mom. I am an adult," I cut her off quickly.I knew she was angry, but I did not purposely stay out late. If she would just allow me a moment, I could explain."Okay, dear adult, need I remind you that you still live in this mansion and eat our food?" she barked. I flinched at her words"Sarah!" Arthur called from the wheelchair.She huffed, released her hand from her waist. I walked closer to her, trying to keep my voice down, "Mom, I am sorry I came back this late, but I had to see Chloe. It was important, tru
~Isabel~ I froze. The room suddenly felt ice cold. "What?" "No," I snorted, shaking my head fast. "She won't go that far." Chloe cocked her brow at me intently, clearly not buying my denial. "She won't," I said again, mostly as if trying to convince myself. Juliana was mean, sure, but drugging someone? That was a crime. That was insane. "Will she?" I asked as the terrible thought took root in my head. "You know William more than I do, do you think he would lie to you, Izzy?" she questioned, looking at me with pure sincerity. I just sat there, the gears in my mind grinding together as I thought about him… I wanted to defend him instantly. I would have said no. He could be a bully, commanding, harsh, closed off, difficult, and totally nonchalant. But he had never lied to me…not when I confront him about anything, except maybe keeping me in the dark about his marriage or engagement, as the case may be with his ex. He was too proud to lie. But what if Chloe was righ
~Isabel~ "Say something, Isabel. Please, don't look at me like this?" Chloe's voice was a fragile whisper, she sat perched on the edge of her bed, her fingers picking at the seams of her top. "This look... this look was what I was running away from. I can't bear it on your face. Or Marcus's. Shit! I can't even face Professor Alister now," she cried out, her voice rose in panic as she buried her face in her hands. "Please, say something!" "I don't... I don't know what to say, Chloe," I finally managed to stammer out, the air felt thin in the room. "What do I say? 'It's fine?' 'It's okay?' I mean, Shit!" I swallowed my next words before they could spill out and make things worse. Shock was an understatement. In my wildest dreams, this? This never crossed my mind. Chloe and Professor Alister? As the silence stretched out between us, I couldn't help but look at her shaking shoulders. I wondered if this was how she felt when I told her about William at first. Or wh
~Isabel~ "Hey," I said gently, uncoiling my arms from my knees and reaching out to take her hands. I held her palms between mine. "What is really wrong? Are you angry with me because I left you with Professor Alister that day? If this is what this whole silent treatment is about, then I apologize, Chloe. Truly. I know I can be a bad friend sometimes. I was wrong, and I shouldn't have just walked away and left you there…" "No.., no…, Izzy," she interrupted, cutting me off as she vigorously shook her head, dragging her eyes away from mine. I noticed the skin around her neck and cheeks flushed red. She refused to look me straight in the eye, her attention remained glued to her duvet between us. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. "Then what is it? What is wrong?" I asked, my voice rose a bit as my confusion turned into pure frustration. "You even broke up with Marcus out of nowhere!" I yelled. I couldn't understand this sudden shift in her attitude, this wall she h
~Isabel~"Hey Chloe," I called, moving closer to her. She dropped the small notebook and pen she was holding on the counter, the plastic clicked hard on the surface. "You came all the way here?" she asked, placing her hands on her waist."Yes, I had to come find you. You've been ignoring me for days now. You said you'd call back the last time we spoke on the phone, but you haven't," I explained, looking her over. My chest felt tight, but I forced my voice to stay level. I was studying her face for any sign of a breakdown, any justification for why she had ignored me for days and left me drowning in my own thoughts. Watching her she didn't look any different or sick. In fact, she was glowing, her skin clear and her hair neatly pinned back. So what could be wrong? It seemed I was the only one carrying a visible weight of my issue on the outside.She sighed just then, a voice cleared behind us. We both turned to the man behind the counter as another young lady came to join Chloe fr
~Isabel's POV~The ride back home was completely quiet, no one said anything at all. When we finally got to the mansion, I moved straight up the stairs, heading directly to my room, but the sound of footsteps following closely behind me made me understand immediately that I won't be left alone to
~Isabel~She smiled, shaking her head slightly, then leaned in close and whispered back, "I'm not a child, Isabel. I see the game you're playing. Don't lie to me, I saw your shoes by the door. I even took a picture of them." She added this last part, whispering even closer to my ear, I panicked i
~Isabel~ “I have to go. Shit!” I hissed out loud, the words echoed in William’s bedroom as the reality of the time finally crashed down on me. I rushed into the bathroom, the cold water splashing against my face as I tried to scrub away the lingering haze of sleep and the warmth of the night be
~Isabel~“Jax is sweet and funny,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “He’s my new friend. He’s been really helpful at the office.”I heard him snort, he turned around and sat on the stool opposite mine. He began pouring the wine into two glasses, his eyes fixed on the dark liquid. “Men are a







