Isabella~
"Mr. Thompson, please wait here; I will return in a few minutes," I asked him as I hurried back inside Alicia's room.
"What have you forgotten now?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice.
"Please wait," I replied quickly, my mind focused elsewhere. Once more, I opened her almirah and pulled out the anniversary photograph. It was the last memory I had with Xavier. Something in me still felt connected to that memory, even though it reopened old scars.
I slipped the photo into my purse, determined not to let him see the effect his romantic photos with Alicia still had on me. The way they were together left me feeling as if I were a stranger in their story, and it still hurts.
As I stepped out of Alicia's room, Lisa's venomous voice cut through the silence. "Stealing?"
"Stealing?" I repeated, stunned. Her accusation sparked a fire inside me."Mom, do you think I'm like Alicia, always taking what doesn't belong to her?" I stared straight into her eyes, my words cutting sharper than I intended. For years, she had viewed me as the shy, naive girl who silently obeyed her commands.
This moment was different. At that moment, I wasn't letting her define me. Lisa blinked her jaw slack, taken aback by my audacity. Xavier stood nearby, a mixture of fear and awe playing on his face as he watched me stand up to her. This wasn't something he had ever seen before. He knew Lisa's manipulative side, but seeing me confront it seemed to shake him.
"Let's go," I said coldly, breaking the tension between us.
"Thanks for your help, Mom." My smile was bitter and forced, knowing exactly how to hit her where it hurt.
As we settled into the car, Xavier couldn't keep quiet. "Bella, why did you stir things up with her? You are aware of her connection to Jordan Lucas." Concern tinged his voice as his eyes searched mine for understanding.
I buckled my seatbelt and dialed a number from Alicia's old diary. "Xavier, I've shown too much mercy to your wife and her mom, even after knowing they were involved in my father's death. So don't expect me to act nicely anymore."
Xavier fell silent at my words, his face tight with concern. He started the car as I gave him the address. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and I could feel the tension radiating from him.
"Bella, I don't think it's safe to go there without security, especially with Jordan's men tailing us," he warned, glancing nervously at the rearview mirror.
I smiled softly, trying to ease his worry.
"Don't worry. People can only destroy what they know is coming. I'm one step ahead of Jordan this time." Not even Xavier knew my full plan for proving his innocence. I had spent sleepless nights working out every detail and every move Jordan might make. I understood him now—his psychology, his tactics. I planned to utilize this knowledge against him.
The car ride was filled with an awkward silence that neither of us dared to break. Despite my best efforts to maintain a professional relationship with Xavier, his proximity unnerved me. Every glance he stole at my face sent my heart racing, and it frustrated me. I had promised myself I wouldn't let this happen, but being near him always stirred something inside me—something I couldn't quite control.
The remainder of that voice echoed in my head:
"I'll have to step in between you two." I shook my head to clear the thought, trying to focus on the task ahead.
"Who lives here?" Xavier inquired as we arrived at a modest house, breaking the silence.
"No one," I shrugged. "I'm just here to confuse Jordan's men." Without another word, I stepped out of the car. Inside, I met briefly with the house owner and visited several homes in the neighborhood, planting seeds of doubt for Jordan's men to follow.
Xavier was growing impatient by the time I returned to the car.
"Will you at least explain what we're doing?"
I leaned back in the seat, exhaustion pulling at me. "I'll explain later. For now, I just need to rest."
The exhaustion from sleepless nights working on the case—and from Xavier being in my house—was finally catching up to me. My thoughts wandered back to Alan. Seeing how pleased he was with Xavier made it difficult to maintain the walls I had built around my heart. If things had been different, maybe we could've been family.
Alan ran out to meet us as we pulled up to the house, his excitement entirely focused on Xavier.
"Uncle, I missed you!" he yelled, throwing his arms around Xavier.
I sighed, watching the scene unfold. Alan didn't even say hello to me. It stung more than I wanted to admit. Xavier met my eyes with a pleading look, unsure of how to handle the boy's affection. I waved him off and stepped aside, letting Alan have his moment.
Alan begged Xavier to stay for dinner, but I knew it would only complicate things further. Still, Xavier gave in to the boy's wishes and agreed to play in the backyard with him. I watched them from the kitchen window, my heart heavy with emotions I didn't want to feel.
"Uncle, isn't Mama the best cook?" Alan's innocent voice echoed as they sat down for dinner.
"Yes, Alan," Xavier responded softly, his eyes meeting mine. "Your mama's always been the best."
There was something in his gaze that carried both sorrow and regret—emotions I wasn't ready to face yet. As much as I wanted to forgive him, I couldn't bring myself to forget the betrayal and the pain that still lingered.
"Thank you, Bella," Xavier said quietly after finishing his meal. "For everything."
I nodded stiffly.
"No problem, Mr. Thompson." But the words tasted bitter and hollow. I watched as he left, disappearing into the night.
Later, as I stood on the balcony, the night air doing little to calm my restless mind, I found myself thinking about him again. Xavier. He was still the same in many ways—beautiful and magnetic. But he had changed too. He wasn't as arrogant or self-centered as he used to be. And the way he cared for Alan... it made me wonder if maybe he could've been a better man.
Reaching for my phone, I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to check if he had made it to his hotel safely. My fingers hovered over the dial.
"Xavier, did you make it back okay?" I asked absentmindedly when the line connected, not realizing I hadn't checked the caller ID.
"Bella!" The voice on the other end wasn't Xavier's. My heart froze in my chest.
"I warned you, Bella," the voice hissed, filled with anger. "I told you to stay away from him, and now you've forced me to get involved."
Fear coursed through my veins.
"Wait, please, listen—" However, the call ended abruptly before I could continue. I stood there, frozen, and the phone still clutched in my hand. I feared what was coming as reality hit me.