Chapter 58

Chapter 58
It had been days since Adele was discharged, and somehow the air around him hadn’t settled. He’d been working longer hours, not because of the workload, but because silence gave him too much space to think. The image still played in his mind , Isabel’s hand gripping Adele’s wrist that day at the hospital. The look on Adele’s face, the faint wince she tried to hide. He didn’t know why it stuck with him, but it did.

Maybe because it didn’t look like concern. It looked like something else.

Celine’s voice had been echoing in his head too. The things she’d said, the way she’d warned him to be careful — that there was something off about Isabel and Catherine, something that didn’t sit right. He hadn’t wanted to believe it then. Isabel had always seemed… reliable. Steady. Charming in her own practiced way.

But lately, that charm had started to feel rehearsed.

She’d been showing up more often at the office, at his place, sometimes under the excuse of dropping off something or “just checking in.” At first, it was easy to dismiss. Everyone had habits. But this new version of her felt different. Her visits felt timed, her smiles calculated. And he didn’t like the way she always tried to steer the conversation back to Adele.

Tonight was no different.

She showed up at his apartment, the one he rarely let anyone come to, carrying a small bag and that familiar perfume that used to smell soft but now just felt heavy. He opened the door and stepped aside.

“You didn’t call,” he said.

“I thought I’d surprise you.” She smiled like she expected that to erase the tension.

He nodded but didn’t return it. “You did.”

Isabel slipped inside, setting the bag on the counter like she owned the place. “You’ve been distant,” she said, her voice light, teasing. “Too busy for me?”

“Something like that.”

She laughed softly and turned toward him. “You sound tired.”

“I am.”

There was silence for a few seconds. She looked around, pretending to notice the books on the table, the jacket on the chair, anything to fill the air he wasn’t helping her fill. Finally, she said, “I heard Adele’s doing better.”

He looked up. “Yeah.”

“I should visit her,” she said quickly. “I’ve been meaning to, but”

“But you haven’t,” he finished, his tone calm but direct.

She blinked, caught off guard. “I’ve been swamped, Liam. The charity project”

“Right,” he said. “You’ve mentioned that.”

She gave a small nervous laugh. “I’m serious. I’ve been spending all my free hours there.”

“I’m sure.” He looked at her for a long second. The silence stretched again. He could feel her getting uncomfortable under his stare. “It’s funny,” he said finally, voice low, steady. “Adele was in the hospital for over a week. I didn’t see you there once.”

Her expression froze. Then she smiled again, too fast. “Oh come on, Liam, don’t make it sound like I don’t care. I texted you, remember? I asked how she was doing. I even sent flowers.”

He nodded slowly. “Right. Flowers.”

Something in his tone made her shift her weight. “Why do you sound like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re accusing me of something.”

He didn’t answer right away. He leaned back against the table, eyes fixed on her. “You’ve changed,” he said after a while. “You used to be more… honest.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” she said, her voice sharper now. “Because I haven’t visited Adele, suddenly I’m not honest?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Then what are you saying?”

He didn’t look away. “When she was sick, we took her to the hospital. You saw her condition. You saw how weak she was. You barely said a word to her. You’ve never gone back since she got better. But you’ve been around here, more than usual.”

She laughed again, but this time it sounded nervous. “So now I can’t visit you without it meaning something?”

He tilted his head slightly. “It depends what it means.”

Her breath hitched a little. “What are you trying to say, Liam?”

He didn’t answer. His mind was too busy putting things together the small signs he’d ignored. Celine’s quiet warnings. Isabel’s sudden closeness to Catherine. The way she’d gotten defensive every time Adele’s name came up.

He finally said, “Tell me about Catherine.”

The question hit her like a slap. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes flickered. “What about her?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her.”

She forced a smile. “We’re just friends. Why? Is that a problem?”

“Depends,” he said. “She’s been around a lot lately too. Poking into things that don’t concern her.”

Isabel’s shoulders stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” she said quickly. “You’re reading too much into everything. Honestly, Liam, I don’t know why you’re acting this way.”

He stared at her, calm but firm. “Because I’ve seen what people look like when they’re genuine. And I’ve seen what they look like when they’re pretending.”

“Pretending?”

He nodded. “Some people smile to your face and stab you when you’re not looking. Some play the victim, some play the savior. Either way, the act doesn’t last long.”

She took a slow step toward him, trying to regain control. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

He didn’t move. “I think you’re hiding something.”

Her breath caught. Just barely. But he noticed.

“I’m not hiding anything,” she said, her voice softer now, like she was trying to sound hurt. “You’re just… angry. Or tired. You’re imagining things.”

“Maybe.” He looked away, exhaled, rubbed a hand over his jaw. “But you should know something, Isabel.”

“What?”

He looked back at her. His eyes were steady, cold in a way she hadn’t seen before. “If I find out you’ve done anything  anything at all  to hurt Adele, it won’t end well for you.”

Her face fell. “Liam…”

He shook his head. “You can lie to anyone else. Not to me.”

For a second, her mask cracked. She opened her mouth like she wanted to defend herself, then stopped. Her eyes darted to the floor, then back up, searching his face.

“Catherine has been through a lot,” she said weakly. “I’ve just been trying to help her.”

“Help her do what?”

“Move on,” she said. “She’s… she’s lonely.”

“Right,” he said again. His voice was so quiet now it scared her more than if he’d shouted. “That’s what she told Adele too. That she was just lonely.”

Her expression froze again, panic flickering across her eyes.

He stepped past her and opened the door. “It’s late,” he said.

She stared at him, uncertain, as if waiting for him to say he didn’t mean it. But he didn’t. He just waited.

“Liam,” she whispered. “You’re making a mistake.”

He looked at her one last time. “I don’t think so.”

And when she walked out, he didn’t stop her.

He stood there for a long time after the door closed, the echo of her perfume still in the air, and the image of Adele’s frightened face at the hospital replaying in his mind.

For the first time, he didn’t just feel uneasy. He felt sure.

Something was very, very wrong.