Liam” ‘s face lit up, a genuine smile spreading across his features. He squeezed her hand, his grip firm, his touch a promise of protection.
“Thank you, Isabelle,” he said, his voice filled with gratefulness. “I promise, I”‘ll always try to protect you.”
The sound of her phone ringing pierced the fragile peace they had found. She looked down at the screen, her heart sinking. It was Max.
“Isabelle,” Liam said softly, his gaze filled with concern. “It” ‘s Max, isn’t it?”
She nodded, her throat constricting. Liam was right. Max had a way of worming his way back into her life, of pulling her back into his web of deceit.
“Answer it.” Liam urged his voice now a low growl, a warning.
But Isabelle couldn” n’t t. She couldn”t face him, not now, not after Liam” ‘s pleas, his warnings. She simply switched the phone off, her eyes fixed on Liam, her heart filled with a painful mixture of guilt and shame.
Liam” ‘s gaze was intense, his eyes filled with a storm of emotion. He stood up, his silhouette an imposing presence against the backdrop of the city lights. He turned and walked towards the door, his movements swift and silent.
“Isabelle,” he said, his voice a low murmur, his gaze fixed on the cityscape beyond the windows. “Just be careful. He”‘s not who you think he is.”
He walked out, leaving Isabelle alone in the apartment, her heart heavy with unanswered questions and a growing sense of unease.
The next day, Isabelle decided to escape the confines of the penthouse. She needed some space, some time to think. She picked up the keys to the car Liam had gifted her, a symbol of his protectiveness, his concern. She knew he was right. She needed to be careful.
The sleek black car hummed to life, a symbol of Liam” ‘s wealth and power. But as she drove through the city streets, she could “n’t help but feel a sense of unease. She knew she had to be careful, she had to trust Liam” ‘s instincts. But her heart, despite all the warnings, still yearned for Max.
She arrived at the shopping mall, a place of vibrant energy and consumerism, a world away from the quiet solitude of Liam” ‘s penthouse. But her heart wasn”t in it, her mind filled with thoughts of Liam and Max, their conflicting warnings, their shrouded past.
And then she saw her mother, Gina, a whirlwind of designer handbags and extravagant smiles, her voice a shrill cackle as she navigated the crowded aisles.
“Isabelle!” Gina exclaimed, her eyes widening with delight. “My darling, that car is stunning! Liam certainly knows how to treat a woman!”
Gina rushed towards Isabelle, her face beaming as she reached out to touch the car.
“Mother, please, stop making a scene!” Isabelle hissed, her voice laced with irritation. “Can you not see that I”‘m trying to be discreet? I don’t want everyone to know about the car.”
Gina laughed a hearty, self-assured sound that grated on Isabelle”s nerves. “Discreet? Why should we be discreet, darling? You deserve to be seen. You are engaged to Liam Callahan, one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. You deserve to be celebrated.”
Isabelle felt a surge of anger rising within her. This was typical Gina, always obsessed with appearances, with the outward display of wealth and status. She wanted to be seen, to be envied, to be a part of the elite. Isabelle felt a pang of sympathy for Liam, caught in the crossfire of Gina” ‘s relentless ambition.
“Mother, I told you, it”‘s a contract marriage,” Isabelle said, her voice strained. “There” ‘s no need for all this fanfare.”
Gina dismissed her daughter” ‘s concerns with a wave of her manicured hand. “Nonsense, darling. It”s still a marriage, a union of two powerful families. It”s an occasion worth celebrating.”
Isabelle”s anger boiled over. “Mother, you”‘re missing the point,” she said, her voice trembling with frustration. “It” ‘s not about the wedding, it”‘s about the car. You”refocused on the material things, on the image, on the public perception of our family. You”‘re not even thinking about me, about what I want, about how I”‘m feeling.”
Gina”‘s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. “Isabelle, you”‘re being dramatic. We”‘ve worked so hard to build our status, and to create this life for you. Now you have the opportunity to be a part of something even bigger, something even more luxurious. Don’t you understand what this means for us? For our family?”
Isabelle” ‘s heart ached. She saw the greed and ambition behind her mother”‘s words, the relentless pursuit of a life that was built on superficiality and status. It was a life that Isabelle never wanted, a life that she felt trapped within.
“Mother, I”‘m done,” Isabelle said, her voice filled with a weariness that mirrored her soul. “I” ‘m done with your games, your obsession with this life of luxury. I want to live my own life and make my own choices. I”‘m not your puppet.”
Isabelle turned away from her mother, her heart heavy with disappointment and anger. She walked away, leaving her mother standing in the middle of the bustling mall, her face frozen in a mixture of shock and anger.
Isabelle reached the car, her hands trembling with a mixture of anger and exhaustion. She was done with this, with her mother”s relentless pursuit of wealth and status. She needed to find her path, to forge her destiny.
As she slid behind the wheel, a woman approached the car, her face a mixture of curiosity and concern.
“Excuse me, miss.” the woman said, her voice soft and gentle. “My name is Rachel. I saw you arguing with that woman. I think you should know, I… I know things about her. Things that might be relevant to you.”
Isabelle” ‘s eyebrows furrowed. She didn”t know this woman, but her words held an unsettling familiarity. The thought of her mother” ‘s hidden secrets, her hidden past, sent a shiver down Isabelle” ‘s spine.
“Tell me what you know,” Isabelle said, her voice a low whisper, a mixture of fear and curiosity.