Chapter 90 Seemed Happy
ANNA'S POV
As soon as I heard the front door slam, I knew who had come home. It was none other than my dearest sister.
Dan and I had come home after the whole drama with the journalist. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that it wasn't the end of that episode. Someone was keeping an eye on me. I managed to convince Daniel to let it slide even if I was worried myself. It couldn't be another James stunt. He was more than desperate then.
“Anna?” Daniel called out, knocking at my door.
“Come in!” I answered, shutting my laptop as I took my glasses off. He walked into the room, with his hands in his pockets.
“Isabel is home,” he said, and I cocked an eyebrow. “You remember I talked to you about both of you finally talking things out.”
He didn't have to tell me twice. We were supposed to be close sisters. We were supposed to be inseparable. I couldn't deny that things had changed ever since I came here. She was the only one in the family, and then I came out of nowhere, slightly taking her place in the family. But I just wanted to be as close to her, as I was to Dan.
“Do you think I should go now?” I asked him, and he nodded.
“I don't think there's a better time. At least before she gets comfy in bed and locks her room.”
I gave him a stiff nod as I walked out of the room, leaving Dan there. My hands were folded in front of me as I headed to Isabel's room. The door was slightly ajar, and I watched her as she kicked her heels off. I exhaled sharply before knocking.
She turned around, looking at me from head to toe. I waited for her to ask me to leave. But her lips spread into a smile instead. I felt myself hold my breath. A smile? From Isabel? To me?
I had to be dreaming.
It wasn't even one of those wicked smirks that she usually gave. This one seemed… genuine.
“Come in,” she whispered.
I hesitated for a while, but ended up walking into her room. It was neat courtesy of the maids, but it showed her personality—flashy… too much.
“You haven't been in here before,” she said. It was still hard to believe that I was in Isabel's room. Or that she was actually being nice to me.
“I'm just trying to take everything in,” I said, and she nodded.
“Do you need something?” She asked. “I would actually love to have a shower now.”
“I just wanted us to be… actually sisters. I don't like the hostility. I'm sure that you think I came here to take your place. I assure you that there's nothing like that.”
She bit her lower lip, as her gaze was fixed on the floor. If she was acting, she was a damn good actress. “I was just scared. You came all of a sudden, taking over the company when you didn't even have to. I dedicated my life to this family. But I guess it's useless trying. I might as well open my own company.”
It was almost like a huge burden was removed from my chest. “Really?” I asked, unable to hide my amusement. She nodded, rapping her fingers against her bedside table. “What will you go into? Drugs?”
She quickly shook her head. “Fashion.”
I laughed. That was definitely her field.
“You can call me if you need help with the planning.”
She smiled. “Of course. I'll keep that in mind.”
I was about to head out of the room when she called out to me again. “And Anna? You're doing the company pretty well. Try not to fail mom and Dad.”
A shudder ran through my spine for just a second. It sounded like a warning more than than an advice.
“Also, I'm not trying to take Ryan…” She waved her hands in the air like she was stopping me from speaking.
“If you want him, you can have him. I've found someone else.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. According to Ryan, she had been crushing on him for years. Would she just let go of him like that?
I didn't ask any more questions as I headed back to my room, where Daniel was waiting for me.
“What did she say?” He asked, pulling himself to his feet immediately as I stepped into the room.
“She seemed… happy. And she said she doesn't hate me. She asked me to take care of the company as well.”
“Then you should probably believe her. Isabel doesn't hide how she feels about someone.”
I wanted to believe him so bad, but there was something about the whole thing that still made me feel skeptical. At the same time, Daniel was the one who knew her the most.
I sat down at the edge of my bed, biting my lower lip. “She also said she found someone else. She's not stuck on Ryan.”
That was when even Daniel cocked an eyebrow. “Hard to believe that one, but if she says so, then fine.”
He didn't take any bit of it seriously. I probably shouldn't too. I was going to give myself a heart attack if I kept worrying about things that didn't really matter.
“You should be more worried about how many sales Celebrex is making. It's out of this world.”
I laughed, and I was about to say something when my phone buzzed, distracting me. It was a text from the last person I wanted to hear from at that point.
“What's wrong? Is it James again?” Daniel asked, giving me a worried look. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
“It's Ryan,” I said, unable to believe the name I was seeing on my screen.
Daniel was behind me immediately, reading the text that I had gotten from Ryan. He was asking me out for dinner.
Daniel squealed in an exaggerated girly way. “You're going, right?”
I blinked. “I don't know, Daniel.”
Daniel quickly took the phone from my hand, typing furiously at the phone screen. “You're going,”