Chapter five : Fractured dawn.

Isabella's POV 

"Because you exist," he said in a low voice. "And every time I look at you, I'm reminded of what she lost."

The words hit harder than a slap.

Before I could respond, he released me and stepped away as though touching me had been a mistake.

"Get some sleep," he said. "Tomorrow the world finds out that Charlie Harrington has a wife."

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"And try not to cry in front of the cameras, Isabella. It would be inconvenient."

With that, he turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

The echo of his words lingered like smoke in the air. “Because you exist."  

I stood frozen by the window, staring at the dark grounds below, my reflection a ghostly overlay on the glass. 

My chin still burned from his grip, a phantom pressure that refused to fade. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Evelyn’s face—not from photos, but from the cruel twist of fate that had bound me to her shadow. 

I was the reminder. The replacement. The punishment.

Sleep came in fragments, a restless haze of half-dreams where I ran through endless corridors only to find Charlie’s cold eyes waiting at every turn. When I finally drifted under, it was with the contract’s weight pressing on my chest, the ink of my signatures still drying in my nightmares. Mrs. Harrington. The name sounded so ugly in my ears.

A sharp knock on the door woke me the next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains, casting long golden stripes across the rumpled bed. I sat up slowly, my body aching from the tension that had never fully left my muscles. The simple black gown from the night before lay discarded on the floor.

“Come in,” I called, my voice hoarse.

A maid entered, middle-aged with neatly pinned hair and a crisp uniform.

She carried a silver tray with covered dishes that smelled faintly of eggs and fresh coffee. Her expression was polite but distant, the kind of professional detachment that said she had already decided where I belonged in this house.

“Good morning, Mrs. Harrington,” she said, setting the tray on the antique desk.

“Good morning,” I replied quietly, watching her carefully.

She didn’t look at me for long. “Breakfast is served. Mr. Harrington expects you to eat before the day’s schedule begins.”

I frowned slightly at the title. “My schedule?”

The corner of her mouth tightened, almost like she regretted being the one to explain. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh…yes I remember.” 

The press statement.

She adjusted the tray, smoothing nothing in particular, just filling the silence. “The makeup artist will arrive in one hour. You’re to bathe and prepare.”

I let out a short, humorless breath. “I don’t even feel like I have a life anymore.”

The maid hesitated, then softened her tone just a fraction. “In this house, ma’am… life is arranged. It becomes easier once you stop fighting it.”

“That’s not comforting,” I said under my breath.

“No,” she agreed quietly. “It isn’t meant to be.”

A beat of silence settled between us.

Then I asked, “Do I have a choice in any of this?”

Her eyes flickered, just once toward the door, as if even answering too honestly had consequences.

“You have a room, food, and instructions,” she said carefully. “That is what most people here consider a choice.”

I looked away. “So I’m supposed to smile for the cameras today.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said simply. Then, softer, almost like advice she shouldn’t be giving. “And if I may… the less you resist, the quicker it passes.”

I gave a small nod, though nothing about it felt right.

“One more thing,” she added.

I looked up.

“The stylist prefers you wear your hair down. Mr. Harrington likes it that way for public appearances.”

I nodded numbly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My eyes felt puffy from silent crying in the night. 

“Thank you. Could you… bring me a charger for my phone? It died yesterday, and I need to contact my family.”

The maid hesitated for a fraction of a second, then offered a small smile. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll bring one right away.”

She left, and I stared at the tray. Toast, scrambled eggs, fruit—everything perfectly arranged, yet it turned my stomach. 

I forced down a few bites anyway, knowing weakness would only give Charlie more ammunition. 

I brushed my teeth at the marble sink in the adjoining bathroom, the minty foam doing little to wash away the bitterness in my mouth. 

Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty. No maid with the charger. I paced the bedroom, glancing at the door every few seconds, willing it to open. My phone sat useless on the nightstand, a black mirror reflecting my disheveled hair and tired eyes.

Dad. Arielle. They had to be frantic by now. The thought of them searching for me, imagining the worst, twisted something deep inside. But time was slipping away. The makeup artist would be here soon, and the press statement loomed like a guillotine. Breakfast had already grown cold on the tray. I couldn’t afford more delays.

With a heavy sigh, I stripped off the nightdress they brought yesterday and stepped into the shower. 

Hot water poured over my skin, filling the glass walls with steam, but it didn’t warm me. I scrubbed quickly, trying to wash away the dried tears and the fear that still clung to me.

My hands shook as I rinsed my hair. Charlie’s voice kept replaying in my head carelessly—soft one moment, cold the next.

“Stay out of my way.”

As if I ever wanted to be near him.

I toweled off hastily, my skin still damp, and stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. 

The Chanel collection hung in the closet—elegant blouses, tailored pants, silk dresses that screamed wealth I never asked for. I grabbed a pair of delicate lace panties from the drawer, my fingers clumsy with urgency. I was still completely naked, water droplets tracing paths down my back and legs, when I bent slightly to step into them.

The door yanked open without warning.

“What the hell is keeping you so long?” Charlie yelled, his voice booming through the room like thunder.

“Crap!" I gasped, heart slamming against my ribs. 

In a panic, I grabbed for the towel I’d dropped on the bed, twirling sharply to cover myself. The motion was too fast, too desperate. The towel slipped from my wet fingers, sliding down my body and pooling uselessly at my feet.

I stood there, completely naked, exposed under the harsh morning light streaming through the windows. My skin prickled with goosebumps, every inch of me vulnerable—breasts, the curve of my hips, the flat plane of my stomach, the intimate shadow between my thighs. 

Charlie’s eyes widened at the sight.