Chapter 69 Roses
ISABEL'S POV
I stepped out of my room, quietly pulling the door shut behind me. The hallway was long and quiet, the soft carpet muffling my footsteps as I glanced both ways, hoping to spot a maid. Just in time, one appeared at the far end, walking toward me. But there was something odd, something that made me slow my steps without even realizing it.
The maid was carrying a large bouquet of flowers.
Not just any flowers — roses. Big, full, expensive-looking roses.
I narrowed my eyes as she came closer. Why was she carrying flowers? And at this hour too.
“You,” I said sharply.
Her head snapped up in surprise before she quickly lowered it again. “Come here now.”
She rushed over, stopping a few steps in front of me, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor as if it was the safest place to look.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said softly.
“Anna,” I said, folding my arms. “Has she left?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the maid replied without hesitation.
Finally.
A small sense of satisfaction settled in my chest. Now that Anna had gone out, part of my plan was already falling into place. All that was left was for Mom and Dad to leave the house as well. Once that happened, I could finally begin the real setup, the part that would change everything.
I tried to turn away and walk past the maid, but my eyes betrayed me. They went right back to the bouquet in her hands. I couldn’t ignore it no matter how hard I tried. The roses were too bright, too carefully arranged, and definitely not something a maid would be casually carrying around without reason.
Those flowers weren’t cheap.
And I knew they weren’t for any of the maids either. They were too poor and too stupid to attract a rich man who would waste money on flower bouquets for them. That was exactly why they were here in the first place working as maids.
The thought made my lips curl slightly.
“Those roses,” I said slowly, my eyes locked on the bouquet. “Who are they for?”
I assumed Dad must have bought them for Mom. If so, then good for him. I couldn’t even remember the last time he bothered to get her flowers.
“They are for Ms. Anna,” the maid replied.
My head snapped toward her.
“Anna?” I repeated.
My brow lifted immediately. Anna got flowers like this? Someone actually bought her roses this nice? And yet I hadn’t received flowers from anyone this entire year.
Not one.
Something sharp twisted inside my chest.
“Did you happen to see the person who gave her the flowers?” I asked, keeping my voice calm even though curiosity and irritation were already mixing together.
“No, ma’am,” the maid said. “She already had them while standing next to Mr. Cole when I arrived.”
My brows furrowed instantly.
Ryan.
Ryan was here?
He came to this house and didn’t even bother to tell me? My gaze flicked toward Dan’s room almost instinctively. Every morning, once Dan stepped out of his room, the door was never fully closed. It always stayed slightly open, because once he left, the only time he returned was at night when he wanted to sleep.
But right now, his door was completely closed.
Which meant he hadn’t come out today. And no one had gone in either.
If Ryan had come to see Dan, then Dan would have come out.
Which meant…
I slowly turned my gaze back to the maid standing in front of me, still holding the roses.
Ryan wasn’t here for Dan.
He was here for her.
He gave Anna the flowers.
Those flowers were meant to be mine. Not hers.
A small scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it. I shook my head slightly, disbelief and anger mixing together in my chest. She really was good. I had to admit that much. She knew exactly how to step into my place and take everything that was supposed to be mine.
But today, she wasn’t going to see what was coming.
“Why else are you standing there, move on,” I said coldly to the maid, already turning away.
She hurried past me without another word as I walked down the hallway. I descended the stairs calmly, making sure my expression was perfectly neutral by the time I reached the bottom.
Mom and Dad were still at the dining table, having breakfast. They were already dressed, clearly preparing to head out, which was exactly what I needed. Everything was aligning nicely.
“Good morning,” I said, putting on a bright, fake smile as I took a seat.
A maid immediately stepped forward and poured tea into my cup. I picked it up casually, pretending nothing was out of place.
The moment I spoke, I noticed the looks on their faces. Shock. Surprise. Confusion.
“What?” I asked, glancing between them.
“Well,” my mom said slowly, “with everything going on with you lately, you haven’t greeted us or had breakfast with us for days. So… what changed today?”
What changed was that something big was about to go down, and I needed to play the role of the good daughter perfectly. I couldn’t afford to look suspicious today.
“I was just going through a phase back then,” I said calmly, spreading butter over my bread. “But I’ve accepted the truth now, and I’m fine with it. Hopefully you guys don’t regret what you did.”
Mom paused, her hand freezing midair. “What we did?” she asked, glancing at Dad and then back at me.
Dad frowned slightly. “Did we do something we would eventually regret?”
I took a slow bite of my bread before answering, keeping my tone light and pleasant. “I don’t know. That’s up to you guys to find out.”
Mom let out a small sigh and shook her head gently. “Well, we’re glad you’ve come back to your senses, dear. The heat and tension in this house between you and your sister was already rising too much.”
For a split second, everything inside me snapped.
I almost stood up.
I almost screamed that she was not my sister.
The words burned at the back of my throat, begging to be released. My hands tightened around the edge of the table, my nails digging into the wood. But I stopped myself at the very last moment.
I forced my shoulders to relax. I forced my face to remain calm.
Because if I said it now — if I lost control now, it would ruin everything.