All Chapters of HOUSE OF FORBIDDEN DESIRE : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Isabella's POVI couldn’t be in the house another minute. I needed to think, what did Maria mean when she said mom left to protect me?The twins were downstairs, laughing too loudly. Camilla was humming in the kitchen like nothing was wrong. Lila kept walking past my window with that, knowing dirty little smile. I needed to get out before I screamed.I found Marcus in the garage, polishing the hood of the Bentley. He looked up when I stepped inside.“Miss Isabella,” he said. “Something wrong?”I hugged my arms around myself. “I need to leave. Not just the house. The whole… feeling. Right now, you're the only one I can trust. Let's get out of here for now.”He studied me for a moment, his expression kind and innocent. Then he nodded once. “Front seat or back?”“Front,” I said. “I don’t want to feel like a passenger tonight.”He opened the passenger door for me. I slid in. He went round and got behind the wheel.We pulled out without another word.He took the coastal road

“Issabella.”Dad bashed into my room unannounced. I woke up from sleep.“What now, Dad?” I groaned. Kicking the sheets off me.“Rise and shine baby… Take my card and go shopping with the girls.” He said closing in.“Seriously. Dad…”He cut in. “Dinner invitation… at Uncle Daniel’s.”The words stunged… I felt dread rising up my chest.“You okay? I thought. You'd be excited, you know, like be happy to catch up with your cousins.”“I'm fine Dad. I'll be there.” I said. Stretching and getting up from bed.“Perfect. And huh… Claire’s downstairs.” He said tossing me a cream envelope.I met Claire downstairs at the bar, handed her the envelope.The invitation came in a cream envelope with gold embossing. It looked formal, elegant, and terrifying.It read: *Dinner at the estate. Saturday, 7 p.m. Uncle Daniel and Aunt Victoria request the pleasure of your company. Dress appropriately.*Claire stared at the card like it was a death sentence.She sighed. “He’s doing this on purpose, He know

Isabella's POVI woke up with Lucas’s scent still clinging to my skin… he left my room before I woke up.I avoided everyone all day… I stayed in my room, ignored texts from Claire, dodged the twins’ knocks. Camilla didn’t waste time on pleasantries.I found the note at exactly 11:47 p.m., slipped under my door like a quiet threat: cream card, black ink, her unmistakable handwriting.*Study. By midnight. Come alone. Bring nothing but yourself.*I stood in front of my mirror for a full minute staring at the faint marks still visible on my neck from Lucas’s teeth, I stared at the girl who looked back like she didn’t recognize herself anymore.I didn’t change. Didn’t shower. Didn’t even brush my hair. Just put on the same nightgown I wore when Lucas came to my room and walked down the hallway barefoot.The study door was closed. I turned the knob. Camilla was already inside, standing behind Dad’s desk in a black silk robe tied loosely at the waist. She wasn't on makeup tonight. Hair loo

Isabella's POVI avoided Dad for three days after that night with Camilla. Every time he walked into a room, I found an excuse to leave. It was either to make a phone call or I had a headache, “I need to help Claire with something.” He noticed. Of course he did, I'm usually not this way around him.He caught me in the kitchen at 7 a.m. on Thursday. There was no escaping this time.My hair still damp from the shower, coffee in my hand, trying to sneak back upstairs before anyone else woke up. “Isabella,” he said quietly. It wasn't a question. A summon.I froze at the base of the stairs, mug halfway to my lips. He was already dressed for the office, in a crisp white shirt, tie knotted perfectly, sleeves rolled to the elbows the way he always did when he was trying to look approachable. But his eyes weren’t approachable right now. They were searching mine.“Sit down.” he commanded. Nodding to the counter stool.I sat, crossing my leg but looking away from him. The guilt of betraying

Isabella's POVThe house felt like it was holding its breath; every low murmur of voices in the halls made me flinch. Camilla had been too quiet since the missed deadline. Sasha and Alex had failed woefully in getting me into Dad's safe, whatever was in there was enough to bring the country down. It had an alert that alerted him even if he wasn't home. Camilla no longer slid notes under my door. No more reminders of the videos she held like loaded guns. The silence from her was worse than the threats.I knew something was up. I could feel it in the way she looked at me across the breakfast table… No. She wasn't angry or disappointed I failed, but “patient*.Like a spider watching a fly walk into the web it had already spun.I needed to know what she was going to do with the recordings. I needed some kind of leverage.I needed something… anything to make her back off before Mom arrived next month and the wedding became a public execution.That’s why I was sneaking through the back ga