Chapter 118
ISABELLA
“If you want my services tomorrow, just tell me the time and location.”
Levi remained silent for a moment, then nodded, clicking his tongue. “Your apartment...”
“Small? Yes, I know.” I crossed my arms defensively. “Go on. Say whatever you came here to say.”
He sighed quietly, knuckles resting against the button of his tuxedo. “Tiny. That’s the word.”
“That’s it?” I demanded. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
He remained a statue — unfazed, indifferent — while I fought against a rush of shame and rage. So this was what I was worth in his eyes — tiny, small, a piece of furniture in the corner of his grand world. That’s why it was so easy to forget me, to forget everything we shared…
“I want to introduce you to my father tomorrow.” His voice was cool, distant. “My driver will be here at 7 pm to pick you up.”
My chest tightened the instant his father’s name crossed his lips. My heart slammed against my ribs, each pulse hammering against my throat until I feared it would burst free. I swallowed, voice thick with something that was not just irritation — it was fear.
“Why can’t I just drive myself?” I challenged him, my words trembling more than I intended, each syllable a ragged whisper of defiance and dread.
Levi let a cold little chuckle escape. “What kind of impression are you trying to create, Isabella? I thought you were smarter.”
My hands tightened into fists at my sides. He’d done something for me — for us — and I was supposed to be grateful. But I felt anything but. If I hadn’t gotten myself into this mess… if I hadn’t gotten in over my head… But this is what I chose. And now I was stranded. I needed help… because once his father sees me it’s over…
“That’s all.” His back turned toward me, ready to walk away.
“Wait.” The word fell from my lips before I could call it back. Why did I do that? Why hadn’t I kept my silence just a little longer?
Levi turned, eyebrows raised, a smirk threatening the corner of his lips. “Didn’t you get all that?”
“I did.” I pressed forward anyway. “I just wanted… to thank you. For covering the bills and...”
“Don’t get excited.” His voice fell icy once more. “It’s coming out of your pay.”
My cheeks burned with shame and regret. I should have kept my mouth shut. I keep forgetting this isn’t some love story — it’s a transaction, a deal made under pressure, not promises whispered in the dark.
Levi walked away without another look, without a hint of softness. I remained stranded in the dimly lit entryway, battling shame and rage in equal measure. I’d gotten myself into this, and now I was powerless to break it — powerless to walk away, powerless to find a way forward without honoring a deal I hadn’t meant to make.
“Caroline is crying. You’d better make peace with her. You know how she can be.” Matt said quietly as he came into the living room once Levi was gone.
I nodded without a word. To be honest, what I was going through seemed far more serious than her drama, but she’s my sister, and I’m the older one. It’s my role to absorb it, to stay strong for her, even when I barely felt strong myself.
I walked into our shared room and found her stretched across her mattress, a paperback resting against her knees. She was wearing her study glasses, the ones she put on when the world felt heavy and distant. A tissue lay beside her — a literal wall between us — which I knew she’d been using to wipe away tears when no one was looking.
I pressed forward anyway and sat down beside her on the mattress, letting it sink under my weight.
“What is it?” she asked quietly, turning away from me, her shoulder stiffening in a silent rebuff.
“Don’t be like that.” I kept my voice gentle this time. “I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you. I’m sorry.”
I threaded my fingers through her hair in a peace offering.
Caroline remained stiff for a moment, then sighed and turned back toward me. “You’re not even married to him yet, and you’re already taking his side. What will you do when you are married? Disown me?”
Her dramatic words made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. “Of course not. I love you, okay? I’m sorry, Caroline.”
She pressed against me in a tight, affectionate hug, nearly knocking the breath from me. “I love you too, Isabella. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you guys love me?” Matt called from the doorway with a mischievous grin.
“Get in here, blockhead.” I opened an arm and drew him into the fold, letting him squeeze in beside us. But even as we fell into that familiar, comforting huddle, all I could think about was what the hell I was going to do when I came face to face with Levi’s father. Fuck.
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