Chapter 33 - Truth
Isabella’s senses were on high alert, yet she tried not to panic, nothing good was bound to come from that.
“I am back. Alec, where are you? Alec?”
She heard Moira’s voice outside along with footsteps, and she released the breath she did not realize that she was holding.
Ales loosened the grip on her shoulder and opened the door. “I am in here, with Isabella, she needs her bag and tablet.”
“But I left them in the living room.” Moira replied confused.
His body stiffened suddenly. “I must have moved them with my luggage, my bad.”
Isabella got a weird gut reaction being all alone with him in the suite and the fact that Edmund’s cousin returned lifted the suffocating burden from her chest.
Watching the happy couple together made her feel that she panicked for nothing. Moira looked at him as if he was the only man on earth and he gazed at her the way one would gaze at their soulmate, that person that one could not live without.
‘Why is my body responding like that when he is around?’
Isabella had to clear her throat to remind them of her presence, as they locked into a passionate kiss that might as well be leading to a heated make out session she certainly did not want to witness.
“I think that I should leave you two girls alone to talk.” He whispered not taking his eyes off Moira, glancing at her as if she was his source of oxygen, his better half, the one that kept him balanced.
His attention switched towards her before fleeing, his face void of emotions. “It was nice talking to you, Isabella.”
She politely nodded in agreement, not meaning it.
“I was not able to meet my sister.” Isabella confessed to Moira the moment he closed the door behind.
“I know, honey. Edmund called me and he told me everything, including the fact that you overreacted again.” She gave her a knowing look.
“I have a video that I would love to watch with you.” Isabella changed the subject.
“Yey, I’ve always dreamed of watching my cousin having sex, said no one ever!” She joked and Isabella would have laughed if not for the sharp pain her words inflicted in her. “I’m sorry, that was a very bad joke.” Her voice softened, she patted her shoulder in moral support.
She took the memory stick out of her purse and connected it to her tablet.
“Ready?” She inquired, forgetting how to breathe for a few seconds.
“Ready if you are.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to find her determination. “Let’s do this.”
* * *
Edmund hated that he had to abandon her there while sleeping, but he had no other choice. He had urgent matters to attend to, not even business affairs, but life and death matters to be more specific.
A chill traveled through his spine as he remembered his earlier discussion with Jason. It was confirmed that his brother’s accident was no accident at all, that the car’s computer was hacked into, that someone took control over the car and crashed it.
The entire time, he had blamed Luisa unjustly, which meant Isabella might never forgive him, especially after reading the contract he made her sign as a price to see her supposedly dying sister.
‘Fuck! I’ve been a fucking asshole. Though not her reaction, but her safety must be my number one concern, I can’t stop the fear of her resentment to creep under my skin, making me lose my fucking mind.’
His attention snapped to the phone vibrating on the table. “Yes, Jason, what news do you have for me?”
“Your ex came here after the accident, and from what I’ve investigated, she found out about the unfortunate situation of your brother after it happened. She did not have the resources to pull this through. It’s just a guess, but I think she too was a tool in a more elaborated plan. The one who pulls the strings knows what he is doing.” He stated.
Edmund sighed, he hoped that Regina was the one responsible, it would have been easier to put a face on the enemy instead of fighting an invisible one.
‘I need to act carefully.’
“What about the other issue? Did you solve it?” He demanded.
“It was handled. They are safe, nobody can touch them.” Jason assured him and Edmund trusted him completely.
“Good. Keep me posted.”
“I will.”
* * *
Isabella was watching the video, her heart beating erratically in her chest.
“Respect my home and my wife for whatever you are selling, I’m not buying.”
“Please do me the honor of removing yourself from my lap, this spot is reserved for someone else.”
All rational thoughts flew out the window the moment she saw him rejecting that woman, his words echoing in her mind, body and soul. Then something else happened. Her anger and jealousy were quickly washed over and replaced by remorse and love, pure and powerful love.
“Oh, look, my cousin is not that stupid after all!” Moira woke her up from the adulation trance she had fallen into. “Truth never fails to make its way to the light.” She added, staring at her with a look on her face that Isabella found peculiar.
“I have to go.” Isabella got up suddenly, turned off the tablet and took the small bag filled with her belongings.
Her body was crying out to be with him. she needed to apologize, she needed to confess, she needed to breathe the same air he breathed.
Isabella did not want to waste a minute longer, she craved to lose herself in his arms, to make sweet heavenly love to him, to feel every inch of his body pressed to hers, to lose herself in his spellbinding eyes.
She bumped into Alec in the hallway, he was studying her with an implacable expression.
“Going home? I have a meeting near Edmund’s mansion. Do you want me to give you a ride?” He volunteered.
Isabella tried to brush off his shady vibe. “I don’t want to disturb you.”
“Nonsense. Go with Alec.” Moira cut in.
“Fine, I will!” She agreed, ignoring her disturbing intuition, her instincts that screamed to run the opposite way from him. “Thanks.”
She said her ‘goodbyes’ to Moira and followed him to the parking lot. They stopped in front of a SUV and before she could climb in it, she felt a needle penetrating the skin on her neck.
“What did you do?” She turned to him and asked before blacking out.