Chapter 291: Chapter 291

Chapter 291

Thousands of miles away from the damp woods of France, the private federal transport plane descended through the bright California sky, landing on the tarmac at Monterey Regional Airport. The tires hit the runway with a soft squeal before bringing the aircraft to a complete stop near a quiet hangar. Isabelle unbuckled her seatbelt, her entire body aching from days of physical strain and fear. Her hands were still scraped and a faint bruise sat near her temple, but her fingers rested protectively over her sweatshirt pocket, feeling the hard edges of the black flash drive tucked inside.

The cabin door clicked open, letting in a warm breeze that smelled faintly of salt air. Two plainclothes federal agents gestured for her to follow them down the metal stairs. Isabelle took a slow breath, gripping the railing as her feet hit the hot pavement. She looked up and immediately froze.

Standing near the edge of the tarmac beside two law enforcement sedans was Ariana. She stood near the open door of a car, her hair pulled back into a simple clip, her dark eyes filled with unbearable worry. Ariana looked completely exhausted, but the moment her eyes caught sight of Isabelle stepping off the plane, her breath hitched sharply.

"Isabelle!" Ariana called out, her voice cracking as she hurried across the pavement toward her.

"Ariana!" Isabelle cried, dropping her small canvas bag onto the asphalt as she rushed forward.

They met halfway, and Ariana threw her arms around Isabelle, pulling her into a tight, fierce embrace. Ariana held onto her with a motherly intensity, her shoulders shaking as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands gripped the back of Isabelle's sweatshirt, checking to make sure she was actually real and standing in front of her.

"Oh my god, Isabelle... my sweet girl," Ariana sobbed quietly into her shoulder, her hands moving up to cup Isabelle’s face as she pulled back slightly. She looked over the small cuts on Isabelle's cheek, her eyes searching her face with desperate relief. "I thought I lost you... After Sam took you away from the house, I called your phone a hundred times. It went straight to voicemail. Then he stopped answering his phone altogether. I was going out of my mind... I didn't know what he had done to you."

Isabelle leaned into Ariana's hands, tears springing to her own eyes as she held onto the woman who had sheltered her and cared for her like family when she had no memory of who she was. "I'm okay, Ariana," Isabelle whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry I made you worry. Sam took me all the way to France, but I got away. I'm safe now."

Special Agent Miller stepped up beside them, adjusting her dark sunglasses as she looked at both women. "Miss Isabelle, we need to get moving. We have a secure facility set up downtown at the federal building. Our lead investigator needs to record your official statement about the abduction and arrange round-the-clock witness protection."

Isabelle turned around slowly to look at Agent Miller. Her expression hardened, the gentle relief she had shared with Ariana instantly turning into a sharp, cold resolve. She kept one hand gently resting on Ariana's arm as she stepped forward.

"No," Isabelle said firmly.

Agent Miller frowned slightly. "Isabelle, this isn't optional. You are the primary victim and key witness in an international kidnapping case. We need to secure you immediately."

"I am not going to any safe house, and I am not sitting in some office answering questions for three hours," Isabelle said, her voice completely steady. "I spent days locked away in rooms surrounded by men telling me what to do. I am done sitting around."

"Listen to reason," Miller insisted, her voice growing stricter. "You are exhausted and injured. The media is already picking up rumors about your return. You need proper protection."

"I don't care about the media," Isabelle replied, looking Miller dead in the eye. "And I don't care about your procedure right now. You are going to drive me to the Castellan estate, or I am finding another ride there myself."

Ariana gasped softly, her hand tightening on Isabelle's arm as she looked at her in shock. "Isabelle... the Castellan home? Why would you go there now? The news was reporting terrible things yesterday... Richard Castellan was on television announcing that Ethan is dead!"

Isabelle turned back to Ariana, taking her hands with absolute conviction.

"Richard is lying to everyone, Ariana," Isabelle said, her voice carrying a quiet clarity that made the surrounding officers go completely silent. "Ethan is not dead. He came all the way to France to save me. He found where Sam was holding me, he broke into that estate, and he fought off Sam's guards so I could escape. He took a bullet in his leg for me, Ariana. He was alive when I left him, and I am not going to let his father stand on live television, pretend his son died, and take over everything Ethan bled to protect."

Ariana’s eyes widened, her mouth trembling as she processed the truth. "He... he saved you?"

"Yes," Isabelle said, turning back to face Agent Miller with unyielding eyes. "So you can drive me to Maria Castellan right now so I can tell that mother the truth about her son, or you can watch me walk through those gates alone."