Liam strolled into his penthouse with an expectant gaze as he walked towards Isabelle’s room. He knocked light on the door and all he heard was a small whimpering.
“Isabelle..” he muttered in a low voice as he walked into the room. He was welcomed by a shocking sight. Isabelle, his fiancee was shivering mercilessly underneath the duvet, her skin all flushed red. What had happened?
“Li… Liam. you’re back” Isabelle stuttered, almost biting her tongue. The feeling of guilt washed over Liam as his mind wandered to the time he left her at the hospital without looking back. He thought she must have caught a cold walking all the way back to the house. He should have called to check up on her.
“I’m sorry, my love” he muttered softly as he sat beside her. He couldn’t ignore the sharp pain he felt in his heart as he watched the woman he loved shiver in pain all because of his careless actions, or so he thought.
“It’s alright Liam” she mumbled incoherently as she tried to avoid having eye contact with him because of the guilt eating her up. She had deceived him twice and with his cousin. She knew deep down in her heart that she loved him so much and was scared of the pain he would go through if he found out the truth.
“So, have you eaten anything?” Liam asked with deep concern in his voice as he held her burning body in his arms.
“Yes..” she lied with a straight face.”I had some oatmeal”
“Let me take you to the hospital”Liam suggested as he stood up to carry her but felt a soft grip in his arm. “Isabelle….”
She shook her head vehemently in disagreement”No, I don’t want to go. I’ll be fine on my own” she shrieked with a panicked cry that left Liam in a confused state.
He couldn’t place his thoughts on what the problem was. “Why, my love?…. You don’t look alright in the slightest way” he asked with a tone laced with confusion.
“I already got some pills from the health clinic” Isabelle lied with fear in her eyes. William had given her some bayer pills to regulate her body temperature. “I’ll be fine”
Liam gradually raised his eyebrow in suspicion as he wondered how she was able to get the pills in her severe condition. “And how did you get that?” He asked with a cautious tone in his voice.
A sudden realization dawned on Isabelle as she noticed the dubious gaze he had tried to hide. “Um… I got them on my way home, l was already feeling the symptoms of fever when I left the hospital, so I thought it was best to suppress it early” Isabelle explained as she chose her words carefully to avoid any slip.
“Oh! Alright then, maybe I should call the doctor to come home instead” Liam suggested as he felt a sense of wariness which he urgently needed to confirm.
“Liam, please” Isabelle pleaded with all her heart, then pretended to feel a sharp pain in her stomach as she grabbed it and said,” I’m famished right now… Please, make me something to eat”
“Okay, I will”Liam readily agreed as he walked to the kitchen, “I’ll be back in a jiffy”
As soon as he left, Isabelle sloppily swallowed a pill, drifting into thoughts. She dreaded, with her heart and soul, the consequences of her actions if her secrets were to come to light. She loved Liam and feared hurting him. Piling his problem with hers, was a ungrateful thing to do. She ought to find a solution that would prevent the impending danger that was to come. Glancing at the business card Rachael had given her, she concluded. She was going to help get her revenge and in turn, get help out of her terrible situation.
“Isabelle, it’s time to eat dear” Liam uttered as he sauntered into the room with a heavy food tray in his hands. “Sit up”
“Thank you” Isabelle forced a smile as she stared at the mouthwatering dish in front of her. Her husband was a great cook and was a lucky woman to have a man who could perform such duties. On a normal day, she would have cleared the whole tray in delight but today was different.
The food tasted dry on her tongue as she forcefully swallowed it with a perfunctory smile on her face. “It tastes great, thank you” she complimented her husband who had a solemn look on his face.
Liam was fully aware that distrusting his wife wouldn’t help their relationship blossom, rather, it could cause it to wither. But her awkward behavior and forced actions made him suspect her. Everything from the hospital incident to the fever felt like a sham. He was the one person who shouldn’t be deceived or manipulated.
“Isabelle, do you have something you want to talk to me about?” He asked in a low voice.”I’m ready to listen and help in any way I can”
Isabelle’s heart skipped a bit at his question. “He doesn’t know anything, does he?” She asked herself inwardly before responding. “There’s nothing wrong, Liam. I’ll be fine in no time” she muttered as she stared blankly at the space.
The doorbell of the penthouse rang.
“Are you expecting someone?” Liam asked with a confused expression on his face.
“No, I’m not” Isabelle shook her head in denial. “Maybe it’s your mother, she wasn’t home when I came in” Isabelle suggested as Liam stood up to check who the unexpected visitor was.
“Max…” Isabelle jumped at the mention of her greatest nemesis.” What is he doing here?” She muttered to herself as fear surged through her body. Had he come to look for her because she had escaped or was he here to reveal her secrets?
She despised him as much as she feared him. She felt the urge to curse at the day she met him, the day she fell for him and the day he deceived her into betraying her husband. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, ready to pounce on any prey with an opened blind spot. Tears welled up in her eyes, as regret clouded her senses. She hoped Liam wouldn’t let him see her.