Chapter 2

For the better part of a month after that, Izzy and I had no contact at all. Ever since Sebastian had come back, she'd cleared every trace of me out of the apartment to avoid suspicion and left me to rent a place of my own.

The next time I saw her was at the Presley family's old house. She walked in with her fingers laced through Sebastian's. The moment she saw me, the smile on her face went stiff, and she let go of his hand without thinking.

Sebastian followed her gaze to me, his brow furrowing, and his tone turned less than friendly.

"Stevie, is your job really this light on work? Is this the kind of place you get to show up to?"

Izzy's expression wasn't much better. She made up some excuse to send Sebastian off, then walked quickly over to me. She pulled me into a corner and lowered her voice.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your distance for a while? What are you doing here?"

"Angela told me to come," I cut her off before she could finish.

Izzy let out a cold laugh. "My grandmother told you to come? Not a chance."

I pressed my lips together, a little sharpness creeping into my voice. "The big-shot CEO of Presley Group's grandmother falls sick, and all she can spare is her assistant. If I don't come, who will?"

Izzy froze for a second before she understood what I meant. Angela Presley was getting on in years, and her health had never been strong. Izzy's parents were always off traveling, and Izzy herself was buried in work. It had always been me who looked after the old woman.

Izzy was about to say something more when Sebastian came back over. She immediately put some distance between us and shot me a look.

"Stevie, if there's nothing else, you should get going."

"Get going where? Stevie hardly ever comes by. Stay and eat before you leave."

Angela leaned on her cane, chuckling as she caught hold of my hand.

"My health hasn't been good these past years, and you're always so busy with work. Stevie comes by and keeps me company every time he visits. What's wrong with me wanting to treat him to a meal?"

Hearing her own grandmother say that, Izzy managed an awkward smile.

After we'd registered our marriage, she'd kept it hidden from everyone in her family. She'd told me that if I became her assistant, we could at least be together all day even if we couldn't tell anyone the truth.

Back then, all I cared about was being near her, so I'd agreed without hesitation. I learned to play the part. I learned to hide. Looking back on it now, none of it had ever really been necessary. Izzy had never taken me seriously to begin with.

That was when Sebastian spoke up. "Angela, I'm back in the country now anyway, and I'll be marrying Izzy eventually. Let me take care of you from here on."

As he said it, his eyes kept flicking toward me, wary.

Not long after, at the dinner table, Izzy's parents had rushed back specially for the occasion. It was Jerry and Marie Presley who'd come home, and the whole meal was spent discussing Izzy's wedding to Sebastian. They went back and forth over a good date while I sat there the whole time, nothing more than an outsider.

It was around then that Angela turned to me with a smile.

"Stevie, you're not getting any younger. Do you have a girlfriend?"

The question caught Izzy's attention.

"No," I said.

Angela perked up, apparently interested, and immediately started rattling off names of women she wanted to introduce me to. Right as she was getting into it, Izzy's spoon slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. She bent to pick them up, and after that, she didn't look at me again.

"Mom, let's just set the engagement with Sebastian for the eighth next month."

I went blank for a second, my fingers going numb. The eighth of next month happened to be the exact date of Izzy and my third wedding anniversary.