Hundred and Fifty
Isabella’s POV
“Not even if I have proof of your mate being responsible for your parents‘ death?” Antonio asked, staring into my eyes, a creepy smile taking over his face.
“I don’t believe you.” I gritted out, trying my best to not be intimidated by his stare.
Antonio laughed mockingly, baring his perfect teeth at me.
“My dear Isabella. See, the problem with you is that you are too trusting, too innocent. You really believe there are good and bad people when in reality there are only people and people are motivated by their emotions and convictions of good. It’s an admirable trait really, but one that would get you betrayed and killed.”
Antonio mocked as he circled around me. The action made my skin crawl. “Do you have proof or not?” I demanded, completely disinterested in his life lessons. There was only one reason I was here and it did not involve life lessons from a literal tyrant.
“I do but first, if I’m going to show you the dark truth of my dear, dear brother, then you are going to have to strike a deal with me,” Antonio said behind me into my ears. His hands were on my shoulders as he spoke.
“What do you want?” I gritted out.
He circled me and came to stand in front of me again, a creepy smile marring his face.
0.00%
E
10:48
Hundred and Fitty
288 Vouchers
“Alexander has something I want. A document, one that once belonged to me until he stole it. I want you to get it for me.”
“You want me to steal for you from Alexander?”
“Call it whatever you want but that is the term of our agreement.”
“I’m not stealing from my mate for you just because you claim to have proof of something he probably didn’t do.”
“Oh dear, sweet Isabella, we both know you wouldn’t be here if you at least didn’t have any suspicions. You are too smart for that.”
I stood glaring at Antonio for several moments. I hated that he was right. There was something Alexander wasn’t telling me and it was clear from his response to my question yesterday.
“I’m sure you’ve asked him about your parents and his answer wasn’t satisfactory. Isn’t that the reason you are here, Isabella?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
If my eyes could shoot out fire, Antonio would have been lying on the floor screaming in pain but he was right.
“Fine, I’ll get you your document but first you have to show me some proof, or the deal is off.”
“Of course.” He said in a calm and soothing voice that would make any unsuspecting person feel secure but I knew him better to know that it was a tactic to draw unsuspecting victims in.
Antonio took out his phone from his trench coat and pressed a few buttons before turning the phone towards me.
“We can’t let her find out.” Alexander appeared on the screen. He was wearing something incredibly familiar stained with blood -the same
14.91%
10:48
Hundred and Fifty
288 Vouchers
outfit he’d been wearing the day my parents died. “She’ll hate me forever if she does.”
“You can count on me that Isabella will never find out,” Blake said, appearing on the screen a second later.
The screen went blank and it was only after looking up at Antonio that I realized he was the one that had put off the screen. “This means nothing. He could be talking about something else, hell that could be you.”
Antonio laughed heartily.
“Even when there’s clear evidence you still defend him? Love is such a destructive emotion.” Antonio proclaimed, staring into my eyes.
His intensity caused me to shift in my feet. I felt microscopic under his gaze like a toddler being scolded by an adult for being stupid.
“Listen to me Isabella,” Antonio suddenly got serious, all traces of his easy–going façade gone. “I know you love my brother but the sooner you see that he’s using and lying to you the better. I’ll be expecting my documents by Saturday, it is called The Pine. Do not make me take drastic measures.” He said menacingly. “Good day, Isabella.” He finished, his smile returning as if it was never gone, and before I could say anything he disappeared from my view.
I wanted to scream, wanted to punch something. It seemed everything I thought I knew, every belief I’d ever had was crumbling before my eyes. My head was spinning with too many thoughts.
If Alexander was truly my parents‘ killer, then how the hell was I supposed to come back from that? How do you forgive the love of your life for killing The pillars of your life?
I needed to clear my head, to run, so I did. I ran all the way from the
32.47%
10:48 1
Hundred and Fifty
north border back to the mansion.
288 iVouchers
“Where the hell have you been?” Alexander yelled as soon as I entered the mansion. He looked just about ready to combust with fear and
anger.
“I told you, I went to see Chloe.”
“Bullshit! I’ve been calling you nonstop.” His nostrils flared as he walked towards me.
“I just wasn’t with my phone,” I said to him, tired and feeling myself getting mad at his yelling.
“You are lying to me. Why?” He asked, his voice dropping down drastically into a whisper. He sounded hurt, like I had slapped him across the face and the pain in his voice made me hurt too.
looked away, feeling guilty. I hated lying to him but I didn’t have a choice. “I went for a run, that’s why you couldn’t reach me.”
“Isabella, what’s going on? You…tell me why you’ve been acting strange.” He asked.
“Nothing is going on, you are being paranoid.”
“Paranoid? You are lying to me, how could I not be?”
I stared at him for several moments before I spoke. “I need to rest, I’m a little tired,” I said and started to walk away.
“Is there someone else?” Alexander asked, his voice laced with pain.
I stopped in my tracks and glanced back at him, amused that that would be his first guess. “There’s no one else Xander,” I said simply
51.58%
10:48
before moving towards the stairs to my bedroom.
“You still haven’t told him, have you?” Chloe asked me through FaceTime the next morning.
She was looking at me with a look of disappointment etched on her face.
Last night had been awkward between Alexander and I. He’d come into the room twenty minutes after I’d left him behind in the hallway.
I had contemplated telling him the truth again but then realized I wasn‘ t the only one keeping secrets, he was too and he didn’t look like he was going to tell me anytime soon.
He’d tried talking to me but I had pretended to be asleep. I didn’t want to talk. I wanted the truth but I knew asking him again was out of the question. He’d kissed me goodnight and held onto me till I actually fell asleep.
“I’ll tell him. I just need time and…”
“You need to tell him no buts.” Chloe sounded worried. She knew
exactly how terrible Antonio was and how manipulative he could be but he had shown me proof. Proof that no matter how you looked at it
was concrete.
“I’ll tell him during dinner tonight.” I lied and Chloe nodded. She eventually hung up to breastfeed Xekey.
1
It was 7:40 a.m. by the time I showered and dressed up. I went down to Alexander’s study to look for the document Antonio had requested, knowing he was probably still at the training center.
66.28%
E
10.480
I opened the door to his study with my key and entered. It was dark but not too dark that I couldn’t see. I put on the lights and plunged the room into brightness.
I wasted no time before I began to open all the cabinets, looking for the documents. I checked every single place I could find but came up with nothing.
“Where the hell is it?” I whispered–yelled into the empty office, frustrated and annoyed.
I was about to leave the office when the door knob turned and in walked Alexander.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked, walking towards me.
Shit.
“I just wanted to say sorry about the way I acted last night, I shouldn’t have gone out without the guards. I was just overwhelmed by
everything.” I was surprised at how easily the lie came but glad I could
cover my ass.
He stared at me for the longest time before pulling me into his arms and kissing my forehead.
“It’s okay. I understand it’s just your hormones acting up. I talked to the doctor last night and she told me it’s not your fault but I need you to be careful, I have no idea what I’d do if something were to happen to you.” There was a tremor in his voice that made me glance up at him.
“I promise I’ll be careful,” I said and
Just then Mason walked into the study.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He said when he saw Alexander and I in each other’s
81.73%
10:48
Hundred and Fifty
arms.
“It’s fine Mason, I was just leaving,” I informed him. Alexander gave me a forehead kiss before letting go of me.
I was outside the door about to close the door behind me when I heard Mason say. “That’s The Pine document.”
97.27%
10:48
