The next morning.
Morning came too soon, even though all I wanted was to hide under the sheets and shut out the world.
I woke up with a start, my eyes squinting to take in the sunlit streaks that flooded the room.
I got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom and caught my reflection in the vanity mirror.
For a moment, I just stared at the woman staring back at me. I didn’t see Isabelle or Yvette. I just saw a mask.
My hair was a bird’s nest of tangled silk, my mascara had bled into dark, bruised circles under my eyes, and my lips... my lips were still slightly swollen.
I didn’t remember when I finally drifted to sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom pressure of Cassian’s hands on my skin and the hunger of that kiss and how intense it had felt, like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and then before I could savour the feeling again, the icy splash of Ryan’s voice would tear through.
"Hello, Yvette Swan."
And then it pushes me back, back to that night. The night I woke up beside Nathan’s cold body with my dagger in his chest, and blood everywhere.
I splashed water on my face and took my bath on autopilot, brushed my teeth without paying attention, and returned to the vanity table.
I sat back, my hands trembling as I tried to pin my hair up.
I had spent the entire night dissecting everything. Ryan had the diary. He had the "leverage."
But as everything that had happened yesterday replayed in my mind, a sudden realization struck me: the letter.
Joel and Estelle had received a letter from "Isabelle" explaining why she ran.
I had even heard the contents... unless?
If Ryan had been the one keeping her in that safe house, he was likely the one who penned that letter to satisfy the Quinn parents while he moved the funds.
Oh my god! Ryan’s scheme might actually be something bigger than Isabelle. I knew it; he had his eyes on the Quinn Knight alliance.
I needed that diary. It was the only map in Isabelle’s mind. If she writes everything, then there might be clues.
It could be the only thing that could prove Ryan was the one who broke her.
It could be my leverage against Ryan.
But how could I get my hands on it?
For a moment, I just stared at myself in the mirror as my mind buzzed endlessly.
A knock broke me out of my thoughts.
"Young Miss, are you awake?" Rita’s voice said.
"Yeah, I’m awake. Do you need me for anything?" I answered, walking to the door and yanking it open.
"The matriarch wanted to know if you’d come down for breakfast or if you’d want me to bring it to your room."
"I’ll come down for breakfast. I just need a few minutes," I said.
"Okay, I’ll tell the matriarch."
I returned to the vanity, painted on a layer of "Isabelle Quinn" confidence, and headed downstairs.
~~~♧♧♧~~~
The dining room was bathed in morning gold, smelling of expensive coffee and sourdough.
Joel, Estelle, and Ryan were already seated with Ryan looking infuriatingly composed in a crisp white shirt, sipping espresso as if he hadn’t spent the night threatening to destroy me.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Estelle chirped, her eyes bright. "You look... well, a bit tired. Did you and Cassian stay up talking?"
"Cassian?" I repeated, "No, we are not that close."
"Really? But he called the main house and asked for your number," Estelle said in a conspiratorial whisper, and my heart skipped.
Cassian asked for my number?
"I mean, a man like him has the means to get your number in his own way. So he must be in a hurry to talk to you to request it directly."
"Oh," I murmured, sliding into my chair, feeling tongue-tied and out of sorts.
Then why hadn’t he called me? My new phone already felt like an accessory since I hardly used it.
No one called me on it.
"Don’t worry, maybe he’ll call you later," Estelle said.
"I’m not worried," I said quickly. Estelle just laughed, probably enjoying my predicament.
Joel cleared his throat, his expression turning professional as he glanced at Ryan.
"Ryan, now that the party is over, we need to speak plainly. You’ve seen her. You’ve met her. I should have told you over the phone, but we don’t know who might be listening."
Ryan set his cup down, his gaze flicking to me with a knowing glint. "I have. She’s... a remarkable likeness."
"We found Yvette shortly after Isabelle’s disappearance," Joel explained, his voice low. "She’s agreed to play the part until we find our girl. I need you to treat her as your sister, Ryan. Exactly as you did with Isabelle. Protect the secret at all costs."
"Of course," Ryan said, his voice smooth as oil. "I’ll play the big brother. It’s a role I’m very familiar with."
The hypocrisy made the eggs in my mouth taste like ash. I looked up, meeting his eyes across the table.
"Actually, Father," I said, my voice cutting through the quiet. "Speaking of Brother Ryan’s roles," I continued, stressing the ’brother’.
"... I was thinking last night. Ryan is the CEO of the New York branch now. He’s successful, powerful, and certainly of age. Don’t you think it’s time we found him a wife?"
The clatter of Ryan’s spoon against his saucer was the only sound in the room. He didn’t just freeze; he stiffened, his jaw ticking so hard I thought it might snap.
I was watching him so I noticed how everything played out.
"Marriage?" Ryan gritted out, his eyes flashing with a warning I ignored. "I’m far too busy with the merger to think about domestic distractions."
"Nonsense," I continued, tilting my head innocently. "A man in your position needs a partner. Someone to... keep your secrets. Someone who knows the family."
Estelle’s face lit up, her matchmaking instincts catching fire. "You know, Isa might be onto something! Joel, remember Roxanne? Your brother’s daughter from the outer branch. She was even here at the celebratory dinner. She had been coming over to visit for months just to see Ryan. She has the most dreadful crush on him."
"Really?" I chirped, the pieces clicking into place so loudly I almost heard the sound.
Roxanne.
No wonder Isabelle had told Roxanne she was in a relationship with a "mystery man".
She hadn’t done it out of trust; she’d done it out of jealousy. She must have seen Roxanne flirting with Ryan and marked her territory without naming him.
She probably said it in his presence.
"Then let’s invite her over; she really wanted to bond yesterday. The three of us could bond together," I added.
"I think that’s a good idea; it’ll be good for people to see you doing some activities with your brother and cousin."
Ryan’s hand tightened around his coffee cup until his knuckles turned white. "Roxanne is... spirited. But not my type."
"Oh, give her a chance," I said, a small, sharp smile playing on my lips. "I’m sure she’d love to visit the New York branch. Maybe even your penthouse?
"Careful, Isabelle," Ryan said lightly. "You might start something you can’t finish."
He looked like he wanted to leap across the table and choke me. But he couldn’t. Not with Joel and Estelle sitting right there. For the first time, I felt the power shift.
He had the diary, yes. But I had the "Isabelle" mask, and as long as I wore it, I could make his life a living hell in front of the people he needed to impress.
I needed that diary... As soon as possible.
If Ryan was this reactive about Roxanne, there were secrets in those pages that went far deeper than his forbidden escapades with Isabelle.
I was going to find that book, and then I was going to burn his world down.
"I think I’ll have some more coffee," I said brightly, meeting Ryan’s lethal stare with an unblinking gaze. "It’s going to be a very lively day." I added, smiling...
Even though I knew one wrong step could still get me killed.