Chapter 65 New Friend
ISABEL'S POV
And that was just one of the many plans I had installed for her.
A small one, really. More like a test run before I finally set my real plan into motion. Anna had no idea what was coming for her, no idea how carefully I was moving my pieces across the board. People like her always believed things would keep working in their favor just because they were loved, just because they were wanted.
But love was fragile. Trust even more so.
The waiter finally brought my coffee and set it gently on the table in front of me after what felt like an unnecessary wait.
“Took you long enough,” I said without looking up, my fingers already curling around the porcelain cup.
“I’m sorry for the delay, ma’am,” he replied politely. “Would this be all?”
“I’m waiting for someone, so no,” I said, taking a small sip of the coffee. It was warm, just how I liked it, bitter with no sugar. Perfect.
He nodded and was about to walk away when the bell above the café door chimed softly.
Right on time.
She walked in, her heels clicking lightly against the tiled floor as she scanned the café. The person I had been waiting for. My newly found friend.
Melissa.
The waiter took another step forward, clearly thinking his job here was done, but I stopped him immediately.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked sharply. “My guest is here, so wait for her and do your work.”
He froze, mumbled an apology, and stepped back.
Melissa’s eyes moved around the café one last time before finally landing on my table. Once she spotted me, she straightened her posture and began walking over. She looked put together, composed, but I could tell there was something heavy sitting behind her eyes. Something unresolved.
“Isabel Quinn,” she said as she reached the table.
“Melissa Reed,” I replied calmly. “Please, have a seat.”
She pulled out the chair across from me and sat down, placing her purse carefully beside her.
The waiter cleared his throat. “Is there something you would like to order, ma’am?”
“I’ll let you know when I’ve made up my mind,” Melissa said, waving him off dismissively.
I watched her closely.
Just like how I used to do.
That proud and arrogant gesture alone made me like her already.
Once the waiter stepped aside, Melissa leaned back slightly in her chair and crossed her arms.
“You know,” she began, “the first time you approached me back at the ceremony, I didn’t really understand why. I was angry, and honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for conversations. So let’s do a quick run back here.”
“Ask me whatever you want,” I said, leaning back in my seat as well.
She studied my face for a moment. “You’re Anna’s sister.”
“Adopted sister,” I corrected her immediately, my tone turning cold. “We don’t share the same blood.”
She raised her brows slightly but didn’t argue. “Alright. And you said we could be of help to each other. How exactly?”
“Isn’t it clear?” I said calmly. “I mean, with the way Anna made you look at that ceremony, and even on other occasions, I’m sure you want her downfall just as much as I do.”
Melissa’s lips pressed together, her gaze sharp. “I’m not the only person in the world who hates Anna. What I’m still confused about is why you chose me specifically.”
I expected that question.
“At the ceremony,” I began, “before the whole drama between your husband and Anna started, I did some digging. With the help of a friend. I checked your backgrounds.”
Her expression stiffened slightly.
“And I found out that you and Anna were once best friends,” I continued.
“So?” she said, waiting for me to get to the point.
“Weeks ago, I returned to my parents’ house and found a girl I knew nothing about slowly taking my place in their hearts,” I said evenly. “Now I want her gone. Again. But to do that, I can’t just push her aside. I have to make her crumble. I have to destroy everything around her.”
Melissa listened carefully, her fingers tapping lightly against the table.
“And to attack someone where it truly hurts,” I continued, “you need to know them. Ever since I was told my parents had found their biological daughter and that her name was Anna, I haven’t bothered learning anything else about her. I don’t know her age, what she hates, what she loves. I didn’t care to know.”
I leaned forward slightly.
“But now I do. Because in order to take someone down properly, you need information.”
Realization flickered across Melissa’s face.
“So you want us to work together,” she said slowly, “because I know a little about her from when we were still friends.”
“Correct,” I replied. “And I’m sure there’s still some heat between the two of you to drive that fire, right?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
Her eyes dropped to the table, her shoulders tensing as if she was weighing something carefully. For a brief moment, I wondered if I had misjudged the situation. If maybe I had been wrong about the hatred between them.
But then she spoke.
“I’ve been noticing small signs lately,” Melissa said quietly. “My husband, James… every time we argue, he keeps comparing me to Anna. He talks about things Anna does that I don’t.”
My lips curved faintly.
“At first, I thought it was normal,” she continued. “But it kept happening. Every single time. And then at the ceremony, I saw the way he stared at her. The way he spoke to her before everything blew up. I noticed something.”
She paused, taking a slow breath.
“I didn’t talk to him about it. I know he would deny it. But something tells me he might still be attracted to her.”
I listened without interrupting.
“Especially now that she’s the CEO of Quinn’s Enterprise,” Melissa added bitterly. “I don’t want to sit around and hope the inevitable doesn’t happen.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“She would eventually take my husband from me,” Melissa said quietly.
I almost laughed.
What a coincidence.
It seemed Anna had a habit of taking what belonged to others. My parents’ love. Ryan’s attention. And now, potentially, Melissa’s husband.
“Well,” I said calmly, lifting my coffee cup again, “in that case, we’re on the same boat.”
Melissa looked up at me.
“And with what you just told me,” I continued, “I’m certain we’re going to make a very good match against her.”
She studied my face for a long moment, then slowly nodded.
Whatever Anna thought she had gained, whatever security she believed she was standing on, it was all about to collapse.
And this time, she wouldn’t see it coming.