Chapter 403 Under Control
Miley had no clue about Brenda's secret meet-ups with Billy.
All Miley knew was that, given Brenda's past grades, getting back into school would be a tough nut to crack. But out of the blue, Brenda got a notice from the school saying her admission was all set, and she could start anytime.
Miley dropped Brenda off at school. To make sure family stuff wouldn't mess with her studies, Miley even got Brenda a dorm room.
From that day on, Billy would hit Miley up on the phone every now and then.
Billy's conversations were always pure and clean, devoid of any romantic undertones.
Miley figured Billy was probably over her; he only talked about their old school days.
She had turned down Billy's love, but she still valued their friendship.
So, during this time, they chatted like old pals. Billy was super eager to share stuff; he'd send pics of his mom's flowers and share funny articles or short videos with Miley.
When Billy heard Miley mention she was heading back to Lakina for a wedding, he freaked out.
He knew the guy Miley liked was in Lakina. The wedding was just an excuse. If they reconnected, Miley might not come back.
That's why, before Miley got on the plane, Billy gave her all sorts of reminders. And after she landed and was at Zaire's fancy castle, Billy called to check in.
Billy's plan was just to ask if Miley had landed and made it to her friend's place. But when Zaire answered, things took a turn.
When Zaire asked if Billy was Miley's boyfriend, Billy didn't deny it; he just went with it and said yes.
That night, Miley was crashing with Isabella. Both had a lot on their minds, and it took Miley forever to fall asleep.
The night outside was foggy; Isabella was also feeling sleepy. She yawned and was about to doze off when the sound of a car downstairs made her eyes snap open.
Isabella listened as the sound faded away. She got out of bed, pulled back the curtains, and looked down.
Seb's car, which had been parked in the yard, was gone. It was almost 3 a.m. What was Seb doing out at this hour?
Curious, Isabella glanced at the still-sleeping Miley, threw on a coat, and left the room.
Seb was supposed to be sleeping in the study tonight. Isabella pushed open the study door; sure enough, Seb was nowhere to be seen.
Isabella called Seb while heading downstairs. "The number you have dialed is currently switched off."
"Switched off." Isabella stopped at the stairway, puzzled.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. The knocking in the middle of the night was kinda creepy.
Isabella paused, thinking she was hearing things. Who would be knocking at this hour?
But when she listened closely, the knocking came again.
Isabella realized it wasn't her imagination; someone was definitely knocking.
Tonight, the Jose family was staying over, so Isabella wasn't scared. She walked to the door and turned on the monitor on the wall, which showed a figure.
Isabella's eyes lit up; without a second thought, she opened the door.
Esme stood there, looking a bit embarrassed when their eyes met. "Bella, I need to talk to you."
Isabella opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Want to come in and chat?"
But Esme didn't move.
After a few days, Esme looked worn out, her hair loosely tied back, missing her usual spark.
Isabella asked, worried, "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"
Esme forced a smile. "What could be wrong with me? The one with the problem is..."
She suddenly stopped and glanced at Isabella.
"Is it about Elodie?" Isabella asked, "Is she not doing well?"
Esme sighed. "Elodie was spoiled by Bruno and me since she was a kid and never faced any hardship. She's got a strong personality. Now that she's suddenly paralyzed, it's normal for her to struggle with it."
Isabella said, "I'm really sorry."
Esme shook her head and smiled bitterly. "Everyone has their fate. This isn't your fault. Bella, I was too harsh on you before, and I've felt awful about it these past few days. But I have to keep an eye on Elodie all the time, afraid she'll do something drastic or cause trouble, so I delayed coming to see you until now. I hope it's not too late."
Isabella said, "Mom, your presence means everything to me, no matter the timing."
Esme nervously rubbed her fingers. "I got a gift for you. Can you come with me to get it?"
Isabella asked, "Where is it?"
Esme said, "At Quentin's house."
Isabella instinctively glanced at the house next door.
A faint light was coming from inside; Isabella asked suspiciously, "Is Mr. Black still up this late?"
Esme said, "He just got back, and I came back with him. Bruno is very strict; Quentin had to use the excuse of getting some clothes to bring me back and give me your wedding invitation."
That sense of unease and oppression was once again visible on Esme. This wasn't an illusion; it was real.
Since Elodie's accident, Esme seemed to be under control. Or to put it more bluntly, she seemed to be under house arrest.
Esme even had to lie to come back and get things.
It's hard to imagine what kind of life Esme was living in the Black Family, behind all that glitz and glamour.
Isabella felt really sorry for Esme. "Mom, you must be unhappy in the Black Family."
Esme forced a smile. "Having lived there for most of my life, what does happiness even matter? My only wish now is for my children to be healthy and happy, without worries."
As soon as Esme finished speaking, a cat's meow suddenly came from Quentin's house. It was Cheese.
Isabella felt that the cat was getting creepier.
Cheese always liked to meow in the middle of the night. It wasn't a normal cat's meow; it sounded like someone was strangling its throat, producing a sharp and terrifying screech, piercing and frightening.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
