CHAPTER 28
Her gaze softened, just for a moment, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Graham saw a flicker of the Isla he had fallen in love with. But it was fleeting, like a dream slipping away before he could fully grasp it.
“I don’t know if I can forgive you for this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He felt his heart break, but he wasn’t willing to give up yet. He wasn’t willing to lose her. Not like this.
“I don’t want you to forgive me, Isla,” he said, taking a step forward, his hand reaching out to gently touch her arm. “I just want you to know that I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right. To prove to you that I love you. I love you, Isla. And I’m not giving up on us.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped. She looked at him, really looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. And in that moment, something shifted between them, something fragile but powerful. But before she could say anything, the door to the bathroom opened.
The door to the bathroom clicked open, and Isla froze, her gaze snapping to the doorway. A moment passed, and then, Nella appeared in the doorway, her presence like an unwelcome interruption to the fragile silence between them.
“We’re ready for the party,” Nella said, her voice light, seemingly oblivious to the tension that crackled in the air. She paused, glancing between Graham and Isla, as if sensing something was off. Then, with a soft smile, she added, “Hopefully your fiancée will enjoy it. She looks beautiful.”
Isla’s breath caught, and the words hit her like a slap in the face. She had heard every syllable, every careless word. The weight of them crashed down on her like a wave, threatening to drown her in a sea of hurt and confusion.
Fiancée.
The word echoed in her mind, mocking her, twisting the knife deeper into the wound that had already been carved into her heart. How could he—how could he call her that after everything that had just happened? How could he stand there, so easily, pretending that nothing had changed?
She felt the tears well up, threatening to spill over, but she bit them back, refusing to let him see the pain in her eyes. Her chest tightened, and she quickly turned away, unable to look at him any longer.
But Graham wasn’t looking at Nella. His focus was entirely on Isla, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he had made a mistake. He knew he had pushed her too far, too fast, and now he was paying the price. But this—this moment felt like a final blow, one that he couldn’t undo.
“I’ll be right there,” Graham muttered to Nella, his voice colder than he intended. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Isla, whose back was now turned to him. He wanted to apologize, to beg her to stay, but the words felt stuck in his throat. He wanted to fix this, to make things right, but he didn’t know how.
“Leave,” Graham said, his tone sharper now, the frustration bubbling over. “Leave us alone.”
Nella hesitated, clearly surprised by his command, but after a moment of uncertainty, she nodded and stepped back, closing the door quietly behind her.
The sound of the door clicking shut felt final, as if it sealed their fate. Graham’s heart raced, a mixture of anger and regret coursing through him. He took a step toward Isla, his voice low but urgent.
“Isla,” he said, his voice strained. “I never meant for this to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
But Isla wasn’t listening. She spun around to face him, her eyes brimming with tears that she refused to let fall. “You lied to me, Graham,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You lied to me all along. This whole party, everything—it was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
Graham’s chest tightened, and he took a step closer to her, his hands reaching out, but Isla backed away, her face contorting with hurt.
“I didn’t lie,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t want it to be like this. I wanted to show you that I care, that you mean everything to me. But I got caught up in everything. I got caught up in trying to make it perfect. And now, I’m just... I’m just failing you.”
Isla shook her head, the words spilling out of her like a dam breaking. “You don’t get it, do you? This whole thing—it’s all been about you. You’ve made decisions for me, told me what I should want, what I should feel. And now I find out that everything you’ve done, everything you’ve said—it’s all been part of some plan, some game to get me here. To get me to New York.”
The words stung, and Graham flinched. He hadn’t meant for it to feel like that, but he could see now how his actions had made her feel trapped, manipulated. The weight of her words crushed him, and for a moment, he just stood there, his chest heaving as he tried to find something, anything to say that would make it better.
“I didn’t manipulate you,” he said, his voice shaking. “I wanted to give you everything you deserve. But I should’ve been honest with you. I should’ve told you everything from the start.”
Isla’s expression softened for a moment, but the hurt was still there, etched into her features. “Why couldn’t you just be honest with me, Graham? Why couldn’t you just tell me what you were thinking, what you were feeling?”
The question hung in the air, and Graham felt a rush of frustration. He had tried so hard to make her see how much he cared, to show her that he wasn’t like all the other men she had known. But now, in the face of her pain, all his attempts felt like empty gestures. He had been too focused on the grand gestures, the big moments, and he had forgotten the simple things—like trust, and honesty.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I was afraid. Afraid that if I showed you who I really am, you wouldn’t want me. Afraid that if I told you the truth, you’d leave.”
Isla’s eyes filled with tears, but she quickly wiped them away, turning her back to him again. She couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t bear to see the man she had loved—maybe still loved—standing there, so broken, so lost.
“I’m done,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I can’t keep doing this.”
Graham’s heart skipped a beat. “No, Isla. Please, don’t say that. Don’t leave me. I don’t know what I would do without you. I can’t lose you.”
Her shoulders trembled, and for a moment, Graham thought she might break, might let herself fall into his arms and forgive him. But instead, she stood taller, her back straight, her voice steady.
“I’m not your fiancée,” she said, her words deliberate and final. “And I’m not going to be. Not anymore.”
The words hit him like a physical blow, and for a moment, he felt dizzy. He wanted to shout, to scream at her for being so stubborn, so unwilling to see his side. But instead, all he could do was stand there, frozen.
And then, Isla turned to face him one last time. “I’m leaving. Right now.”
Before he could stop himself, before he could even think, Graham reached out and grabbed her wrist, his grip firm but not forceful. “No, Isla. You’re not going anywhere.”
She jerked her arm away, her eyes flashing with anger. “Let go of me, Graham. Let go.”
But Graham wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet. Not without a fight.
“I’m not letting you leave,” he said, his voice low and intense. “Not like this. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
Isla’s chest heaved with the effort of keeping her composure. “You don’t get to decide what happens next, Graham. I do.”
“Then stay,” he said, his voice desperate. “Stay and fight for us. For what we have. Because I’m not giving up on you.”
Isla stared at him, her gaze unwavering. The anger, the frustration, the pain—it all boiled over. “I’m not fighting anymore, Graham. I’m done.”
And with those final words, she turned and walked toward the door, her footsteps echoing in the silence.