Chapter 88

Isabella

I was still unsure about what I’d just agreed to as I stared down at the plain white envelope Levi had handed me. It felt heavy in my hands—heavier than it should have. Inside was my first check. My name was scribbled hastily in one corner, as if it were an afterthought, accompanied by a brief note written in rushed, slanted handwriting:
“For your needs right now. I’ll meet you by 6:00 PM.”
The money didn’t feel real. It was more than I’d held at once since I lost everything. But there was no time to dwell on the surreal weight of it, or to question what the hell I’d just gotten myself into. I had agreed to marry Levi. A contract marriage. For a week.
How ridiculous.
How amusing.
How… oddly delightful.
But also—how deeply dangerous. I had stirred up a storm for myself.
Rent was due. And so, I grabbed half the amount and rushed out to hand it over to the landlord before he came pounding on our door again. The rest of the check I folded carefully, tucked it into my handbag, and zipped it shut with trembling hands. If my siblings saw this, they’d never believe it was real. Hell, I could barely believe it myself.
By 6 PM, I was supposed to meet Levi again. That’s when we’d finalize everything—when I’d know the official start date of this… arrangement.
One week.
Seven days.
Just enough time to set everything in motion.
I had one goal, and one goal only: revenge. I wanted Antonio Ferrari to regret the day he dared blacklist me from the industry I once breathed life into. I didn’t know how I was going to do it—yet. But I would. Even if I had to go to hell to drag Elena out of it.
And by hell, I meant the psychiatric facility where she was being kept.
And I was done letting life pass me by while I wallowed in self-pity.
If I could just make it through this one week, maybe—finally—I could let Levi go and start over. The thought of it made my heart ache. But I had no choice. He had kept me in his grasp for years, while his life moved on without pause, without me.
When I walked back into the apartment, groceries in hand, the sight that greeted me made me stop dead in my tracks.
Empty rooms.
Boxes stacked by the door.
Matt, my little brother, frantically cramming clothes into an already-bursting duffel bag, his face twisted in frustration as he fought with the zipper.
Something about it all felt chaotic… and oddly relieving.
I stayed quiet by the door, watching. He hadn’t noticed me yet, too focused on the stubborn bag.
“Hey, sis. You’re back just in time. We need to get these boxes to the truck before that nasty landlord shows up to kick us out,” he said, still not looking up.
That tiny smile I’d worn vanished the moment Caroline stepped out of the room, dragging a suitcase behind her. She froze when she saw me.
“Isabella. You’re back.”
She pushed the luggage forward and stopped beside Matt, who was now losing his battle with the zipper.
“Heard Ruth moved to London,” she said casually.
“Yes,” I replied, still trying to process everything.
Matt’s head jerked up. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Wait—does that mean the apartment’s ours now? That’s amazing!”
He sprang to his feet, practically bouncing with excitement. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat, bracing myself.
“Uh… guys, we might not be staying at Ruth’s—”
“Why? You got other plans?” Matt cut in, his smile fading just slightly. “I mean, I can go stay with Pete for a few days if you and Caroline want the place to yourselves…”
That sad look on his face nearly broke me. I almost told him the truth right there—that I’d handled the rent, that we weren’t being evicted. But I held my tongue. Maybe it was better if they figured it out themselves. A part of me didn’t want to say the words aloud. Not yet.
Caroline tilted her head, eyes narrowing. She always did that when she was trying to read me like one of her romance novels.
“What then? You paid the rent? We packed all this stuff for nothing?” she asked.
Matt let out a scoff. “Another wild guess from you, Caroline. How about moving the bags to the truck while we wait for Isabella to finally tell us where the hell we’re going?”
“I’m not moving anything until she does,” Caroline said, arms folded, defiant as ever.
Her optimism always baffled me. Inspired me too. Even when things were falling apart, she still believed they could somehow come back together. I envied that about her. I’d been forced to stare down the uglier parts of life too soon—and I just prayed I could shield her from ever having to do the same.
Matt reached for Caroline’s bag and tried to lift it, then winced. “What’s in this thing? Stones?”
He set it down and looked over at me. I still hadn’t stepped fully into the house.
“You’ve been standing at that door since you got back. What the hell is going on? Why aren’t you saying anything that makes sense, Sis?”
I took a breath. “We’re not going anywhere because—”
My voice cracked. I glanced around the room like I was searching for the words. My fingers tightened around the handle of my tote bag, the one I used for work.
“Because what?” Caroline asked.
Matt groaned and dropped onto the sofa, dragging the hem of his sweatshirt across his sweaty brow. Panic. That’s what it was. He always sweated when he panicked.
“I’m just going to say it,” Caroline muttered. “You handled the rent. Didn’t you? That’s it. I’m done guessing.”
“You guessed right, honey,” I said, my voice shaking. “We’re not being evicted. Your prayers worked, Caroline. We’ve been given a miracle. And it feels like a dream.”
Caroline’s eyes widened. “You’re not joking, are you, sis?”
I shook my head, and the tears came freely. “I’m not.”
Without a word, she ran to me and threw her arms around me. We clung to each other tightly, our tears mixing, our bodies trembling with the same relief. I hadn’t felt this light in weeks. I had paid six months’ rent. Six whole months.
“Matt,” I called softly. “Come here.”
He hesitated, but then walked over and wrapped his arms around us. The three of us stood there in a warm, tangled embrace.
Love had always been a three-way bond in our family—me, Caroline, and Matt. I never thought it could exist any other way.
And maybe, just maybe, I didn’t need it to.