Chapter 281: Right before it all shifts

Isabel’s POV

I walk through the front door, and the buzz of activity greets me like a gust of wind. The scent of jollof rice, grilled chicken, and roasted plantains swirls in the air, tugging at my senses. My mother’s voice floats from the kitchen, gently instructing the cook as they move between pots.

Laughter spills from the hallway, wedding preparations in full swing. Dresses rustle, footsteps shuffle across the floor, and somewhere in the background, someone’s humming.

It’s warm. Familiar.

But it does nothing to numb the ache in my chest.

I slip past everyone quietly, my feet finding the stairs like they’re on autopilot. I barely make it halfway up when my mother calls after me.

“Claire, dear! Your sister’s back. She’s been waiting for you. Come on now, dinner’s almost ready.”

I force a smile, pausing for a heartbeat. Aurora. I’d almost forgotten she returned from Chicago today.

I nod, continuing up the stairs to my room. Just as I sit down, the door creaks open and there she is—Aurora. The little lady of the house, arms folded, her chin lifted like she owns the place. Her eyes narrow, reading me faster than I’d like.

We exchange soft smiles. Then she walks in and shuts the door gently behind her.

“You were practically skipping the day you sent me off to Chicago,” she says, nudging her head in my direction. “And now look at you. You’re welcoming me home with that face?”

I exhale softly, shaking my head. No matter how much I try to appear neutral, Aurora will always catch on. I can’t hide anything from her. I never could.

I smile and shift my mood, teasing. “Come on, sis. I’m sorry I wasn’t downstairs to welcome you properly. Don’t guilt-trip me already.”

Aurora crouches beside me, shrugging. “Well, at least you apologized. So… I’ll try.”

We both chuckle, the sound a small comfort.

“So,” I say, resting my elbow on the armrest, “enough about me. Tell me, how did it go in Chicago? Did you get to meet with Richard? And what about the training—did you complete it?”

A silence falls.

I turn to look at her more closely. Her smile falters, and I catch the hesitation in her eyes. I’d thought sending her off to Chicago might help clear her head. After the fire at the condo, she’d been distant—too much in her thoughts. Then I found out Richard had traveled there even before the incident. It only made sense to let her go too. Maybe reconnecting would help ease whatever it was she was carrying.

But now… maybe I was wrong.

Aurora’s sigh pulls me out of my thoughts. She shifts closer and wraps her fingers around mine. Her touch is soft, but her gaze holds weight.

“I regret going for that training, sis,” she says quietly.

My brows knit. “Huh? Why?”

She glances down. “I just… hated the idea of being there. I couldn’t stand it.”

She shivers slightly, like the memory alone unsettles her.

“You couldn’t stand the training?” I ask, confused. “That’s not like you. Or… is there something else?”

She shrugs, hesitant. “It’s just…”

I narrow my eyes at her, waiting. She sees it, kicks a leg in the air, and flops onto the bed with a groan, frustration rolling off her in waves. After a moment, she sits up again, running her hand through her hair.

“During the training,” she says slowly, “it felt like I was seeing him everywhere. In my sleep. In everything I did. Everywhere I turned, it was like he was there. In my head. In my dreams. And then he’d turn around and act like I was invisible… like I didn’t matter.”

She pauses, blinking hard. “To make it worse, all the girls there were crazy about him. He soaked it all in. Like I didn’t even exist.”

Her voice lowers. “You know how that made me feel? Like I was going crazy.”

I can’t help but laugh softly. “Come on, sis. You know Richard was just being professional. He’s a model—meeting others in the industry, it comes with the job.”

Aurora lifts her chin. “Oh really? Well, I’m not any less either. That’s why I left. If he feels I don’t belong, then I don’t want to be around him either. I’m Aurora Montgomery, sis. I don’t beg for anyone’s love.”

The way she says it lands heavier than she realizes.

I catch the word.

Love?

She gasps and covers her mouth like the word escaped before she could trap it. She jumps to her feet, suddenly alert.

I let her off easy, pretending I didn’t catch it. “Yes… how dare Richard act that way toward you?”

She gives a cheeky smile, pointing to the door. “Dinner. I’ll go downstairs now… you should come too.”

She slides out, the awkwardness lingering behind her.

I chuckle, shaking my head. “How dare he ignore my sister, huh? I’m definitely going to deal with him.”

And maybe… I should go down for dinner too.

Dinner ends with everyone gathered in the living room, laughter echoing off the walls as Scarlett and Sterling perform a dramatic version of the dance they plan to showcase at the wedding. The twins twirl around, acting out moves they clearly made up on the spot, bursting into giggles after every spin.

My cheeks hurt from smiling.

Everyone’s talking about the weekend—what they’ll wear, how they’ll decorate the hall, and what kind of cake should come after the fifth course. Their joy is loud and warm. It fills the room completely.

My phone buzzes beside me.

A message from Roy.

“It’s weekend soon. Can’t wait.”

I place the phone down slowly, my mind drifting—back to the basement… back to Alexander.

His voice.

His touch.

His plea.

Before I can sink into the thought fully, the house phone rings.

The chatter dies.

A glance moves around the room like a ripple. Then my father rises, moving to answer it.

The tension is quiet, but it’s there. Sitting between us.

He speaks softly into the receiver.

Then silence.

When he turns around, his gaze moves across each of us, but it lingers on me.

Something’s changed.

I can feel it.

I sit up straighter, eyes locked on his.

He swallows. Says nothing.

But somehow, I already know…

Something is coming.

And it’s going to change everything.