Chapter 55 Something Off About Steve
"I'm not the owner of this phone; please call back later."
The voice on the other end was unmistakably Steve's.
Hearing that voice, Nora let out a long sigh of relief.
Isaac was sitting across from her, Steve's voice in the earpiece.
It was proof they weren't the same person.
Isaac hadn't lied to her.
Nora readied herself to ask a few questions.
No sooner had she begun to speak than Steve hung up the call.
Nora resignedly set her phone down.
She planned to deal with Isaac's departure first, then get back to Steve to question him—why on earth had he spilled the beans about last night to Isaac?
"You didn't think I was your new boyfriend just now, did you?" Isaac asked abruptly, his tone casual yet laced with a tease.
Embarrassment washed over Nora, leaving her at a loss for words.
Isaac snickered, "Quite the imagination you've got there. Do you think it's even remotely possible that, after our divorce, I'd change my identity just to date you again?" he probed.
Nora's cheeks flushed a fiery red.
How self-deluded she had been to even entertain the thought that Isaac would assume a new identity to woo her again.
That was next to impossible!
If Isaac wanted to get close, it wouldn't be to treat her kindly.
Instead, he would find every way to torment and humiliate her.
He would never be gentle and patient with her like Steve.
"My face is nothing like your boyfriend's. How could you ever mix the two of us up?" Isaac inquired further.
Nora gave a forced smile, unsure of how to respond.
She now felt foolish; her brain muddled for even conflating Isaac with Steve.
Putting aside their personalities, their appearances were different.
She had seen Steve up close.
His face was so genuine, certainly not a facade, far from any disguise Isaac could concoct.
"I had a fever last night. Perhaps my mind hasn't recovered fully, which led to these wild thoughts," she offered an excuse.
"I'm sorry, my suspicions were overbearing. I apologize for troubling you."
Nora apologized sincerely.
After her apology, she swiftly urged him to leave. "Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared and I've apologized, please leave."
Isaac glanced at her and said, "No rush. I've contacted your boyfriend to bring my phone over."
"Let's wait for him to arrive. We'll swap back our phones, and then I'll leave."
Nora's pupils dilated. She was stunned as she turned to Isaac.
He had actually reached out to Steve?
And asked Steve to come over here?
That meant the two of them were going to meet!
The thought of her ex-husband and current partner meeting at her own house made her feel uneasy.
At the same time, a touch of sadness crept into her heart.
The fact that Isaac could face her current partner so calmly and indifferently showed he didn't care about her at all.
Nora suppressed the odd feelings welling up inside and waited in silence beside Isaac.
About half an hour later, the sound of a key turning was heard at the door.
The door opened, and there stood Steve, his tall frame filling the doorway.
Nora's worries evaporated when she saw both Steve and Isaac appear at the same time.
However, as she looked at Steve, something seemed off about him.
She couldn't pinpoint it, but he felt different somehow—especially his aura.
Before Nora had a chance to look closer, Steve spoke up, "Isaac, step outside for a second. I need to discuss a few things about Katie with you."
Then he turned and walked toward the outdoors rather than entering the house.
Nora didn't get the opportunity to take the closer look she desired.
Isaac stood up, taking his phone from the table, and said to Nora, "I need to head out."
"Okay," Nora nodded in response.
Isaac grabbed his phone and left.
After exiting, he joined Steve in the elevator.
The two rode down in silence and got into a car parked curbside.
The car slowly drove off, only stopping in a secluded area.
Besides Isaac and Steve, there were two others in the car. Wesley, the driver, and Harold.
"Thanks," Isaac said sincerely to Harold.
Harold raised an eyebrow and offered a sardonic smile, "If Nora has already figured it out, why not just come clean? Why go through all this trouble of having someone impersonate Steve, continuing to deceive Nora?"
Isaac glanced at him coolly, "I have my plans. Mind your own business."
He remembered the look of despair on Nora's face.
If it was proven that he was indeed Steve, he was certain she would vanish from his life forever.
So, he took the chance while escorting his grandfather downstairs to get Wesley and Harold to help. They found someone with a similar build to wear a mask of Steve's face, to appear alongside him and dispel Nora's suspicions completely.
His phone had been passed to Wesley on their way down.
As for the voice on the call and the words Steve had spoken upon entering, it was all a pre-recorded message.
Steve only needed to show up before Nora and quietly play the recording.
Nora, who hadn't been close or spent much time with Steve, wouldn't be able to tell with just a brief glimpse that this was an imposter.
Even though Steve's demeanor was different and his build wasn't an exact match.
As long as she didn't get a closer look, she would have a hard time realizing it was a fake.
"Let's not dwell on this now. I have to head back. We'll talk more tonight," Isaac spoke softly.
"Alright," Harold nodded, a word of advice on his lips. "You'd be better off coming clean with Nora when you get the chance. If Nora ever finds out you've been deceiving her, she's bound to be furious," he cautioned.
Isaac's gaze darkened slightly.
Admitting it now would anger her all the same.
Moreover, she might cut him out of her life or even foster a deep-seated hatred toward him.
"I've got it under control," Isaac brushed off the concern with a half-hearted assurance.
Meanwhile, the man masquerading as Steve had removed the facade, revealing an unremarkable face beneath.
His clothes and trousers were stripped away as well.
Wesley hurried to clean the latex mask and sanitize the clothes before spritzing them with Steve's signature cologne.
Isaac applied the sanitized mask to his face, adjusting it carefully.
Once the mask was secure, he donned the cleaned clothes.
Wesley remarked with smile, "Isaac, we've upgraded the mask this time. It doesn't have that cold, rubbery feel anymore."
"It feels almost like real skin; it even conducts heat so you can feel the temperature!"
"Plus, we've increased its adhesiveness. You can do normal things like playfully pinch a face without fear of it peeling off."
"As long as no one's trying to rip it off with force, it should stay put."
"Taking it off can be a bit tricky, though – you'll need a specific makeup remover oil. Otherwise, you risk damaging the skin."
Isaac responded with a nod, "Nice work."
Fully equipped, he stepped out of the car, heading back to Nora's place.
Upon Steve's return, Nora's gaze immediately fixed on him, scrutinizing his appearance meticulously.
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