YVETTE’S POV...
3 hours earlier... Quinn Estate... Around 10:00 am...
I didn’t need to do much before Estelle called Roxanne to come over.
I kept telling myself that Roxanne’s presence would be the perfect distraction Ryan needed to enable me to get into his room to find the diary.
Unfortunately, she was set to arrive during lunch since I had to meet my private tutor for French and Spanish and start my lessons immediately.
"Meet Gabriel Jones; he’s going to be your private tutor for French and Spanish. He has already signed an NDA," Joel said, introducing the scholarly-looking young man.
Gabriel was handsome: thick brows, chiselled jaw, sharp nose, and nice hair; he looked like a sexy professor who had stepped out of a manhwa, but he still paled in comparison to Cassian.
Ugh... Focus... Yvette! Why am I thinking of Cassian in front of my tutor?
"He’s going to teach you the basics, something to make you hold a conversation. We have the first contract signing with the Knights in a week. So try and pay as much attention as you can because we must be ready for any surprises at the meeting. You’ll be there."
"Okay," I said, letting out a slow exhale.
That was the contract Ryan wanted me to switch... Of course, it was real.
Okay, let’s just focus on the private lessons for now.
When there’s a will, there’s a way.
"Nice to meet you, Mr Jones. I’m Isabelle," I said, nodding at the man.
"Nice to meet you too. Just call me Gabriel. Since we’re on a tight schedule, can we start?"
"Sure, after you."
I was just about to follow after Gabriel into the study room they prepared for me when I froze.
Shit! How did I even forget?
Joel might have noticed, because he turned to look at me.
I felt sheepish uttering the next words, "I’ll be needing reading glasses," I squeaked. "My vision starts to blur when I read for a bit."
"Oh dear, we have the same condition," Estelle, who was coming down the stairs, said. "We’ve something in common."
"Oh," I rasped.
My mind went to the day Estelle made Rita read Isabelle’s letter, which led to me hearing its contents.
"Come with me then; I’ve several new ones you can try and see what suits you best," Estelle offered.
"Oh, okay."
"Gabriel, you can go ahead. Isabelle will join you soon."
Estelle took my hand, and that was how I entered the bedroom of Joel and Estelle for the first time since my stay with the Quinns.
I didn’t know how to describe the feeling. Every. Little. Detail screamed luxury, but that wasn’t the most important part.
The warmth, the blended scent of both of them, and how Estelle treated me as if it were normal to bring me into their private space. It all did something to me.
Like I belonged, like I deserved such love.
"What do you think about this?" Estelle asked, holding a gold-rimmed glass before me.
I tried it on and it was perfect.
"It’s perfect. I’ll take this one," I said.
"Are you sure? There are many where that came from," she said, pushing a button to reveal a side panel that was full of reading glasses.
"Whoa!" The sound escaped my lips before I could stop myself. Estelle laughed seeing my reaction.
That was how Estelle and I nearly forgot about the lessons while I tried on glass after glass, indulging Estelle.
"It’s been 15 minutes, dear wife. Isabelle needs to study," Joel said, poking his head through the door.
"Alright, alright, Isabelle is done here." Estelle finally said, letting me go.
~~~♧♧♧~~~
3 hours later
The lessons ended on a quite good note. Gabriel had a way of making everything seem easy, even for a beginner like me.
I was glad, even though I couldn’t deny that my head was throbbing from processing everything.
We had ended the lesson about an hour ago, but I stayed in the study, still reading through the lesson notes when Rita came to call me.
It was time for lunch, and Roxanne had arrived.
I had barely made it into the hall when Roxanne stormed towards me like a ball of energy.
"Isabelle! Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much!"
I inwardly rolled my eyes.
Didn’t she just see me yesterday?
Roxanne didn’t just make her presence felt; she detonated within the room.
She was a whirlwind of bright pink silk and expensive floral perfume; her high-pitched voice made my already pounding head throb.
Before I could even steady myself, she had her arms around me, squeezing tight.
"I was so sad we didn’t get to talk more at the celebratory dinner," she chirped, pulling back to scan my face. "You look... different. More serious. Wait, you’re wearing glasses. That’s new."
"It’s for reading," I managed, forcing a polite smile while my eyes drifted over her shoulder.
Ryan was standing by the window, looking like he wanted to jump out of it.
He was dressed for the office, but Estelle had clearly put his foot down about this ’family bonding’ session.
Every time Roxanne’s gaze flicked to him, her eyes turned into liquid hearts.
I looked at her—really looked at her—and saw the jealousy Isabelle must have felt. Roxanne was young, vibrant, and looked at Ryan as if he were the sun.
If Isabelle had been hiding a forbidden affair with him, Roxanne’s presence must have felt like a constant threat.
"So Roxanne," I said, my voice dropping into a playful lilt. "Mum and I were talking at breakfast, something about Brother needing a wife. Ryan says he is lonely in New York. So I thought of you. What do you think about my brother?"
Roxanne blushed, lowering her gaze as if she were some demure teenager.
Ryan’s jaw tightened so hard I heard the faint click of his teeth. He didn’t look at Roxanne. He was looking at me.
"If...if Ryan is willing, then I can keep him company. We can try seeing each other with marriage in mind," she said softly.
"Great! Ryan is on board—"
"Little sister has a very active imagination lately," he cut in, his voice a low, dangerous warning.
"I’m just looking out for my brother," I chirped, reaching for a macaron from the tea tray. "In fact, Ryan, you should show Roxanne the new rose garden. Father spent a fortune on the imports from France."
"I’d love to!" Roxanne squealed, already moving toward him.
Ryan looked as if he were constipated... like he’d rather be anywhere else.
For a second, I felt a surge of triumph. This was my window. If they went to the garden, I’d have twenty minutes to get into his room and find that diary.
But then, I saw my phone sitting on the side table.
"What is my phone doing here?"
Rita, who was standing on the side, answered. "One of the maids brought it down because it was ringing. Young Master Ryan took it."
...Ryan?
I frowned, picked it up, and tapped on the screen.
The screen lit up.
A missed call and one text.
Unknown Number.
My heart did a slow, heavy roll in my chest. Cassian.
I scrolled to the call log and my blood went cold. One call had been answered.
Answered.
I looked at Ryan. He was still being hovered over by Roxanne, but he met my gaze with a cool, mocking tilt of his head. He had touched my phone. He had spoken to him.
"Did you touch this?" I whispered, stepping toward him as Roxanne distracted herself with her own reflection in a gilded mirror.
"Your phone was ringing quite insistently," Ryan replied, his voice barely audible. "I thought it might be important. It was your fiancé. He sounded... remarkably displeased."
My stomach dropped.
What did Ryan tell Cassian?
"You bastard," I hissed.
"Language, Isabelle," he mocked. "I’m just looking out for my little sister."
He repeated my words to me.
I should have given him a witty comeback, but all I could think of was Cassian.
I opened the message that was received over 15 hours ago, and my breath hitched.
"I don’t believe a word you said tonight, Isabelle. If I’m certain of anything, it’s that your body doesn’t lie...
And now that I know your secret, you can’t hide from me anymore. You can run, but I’ll always find you."
My chest tightened—not just fear... it was something worse.
This hooligan!
"Cassian called you?" Roxanne asked, looking surprised. "You seem to be really taking things seriously with Cassian. It’s surprising," she continued, but ultimately, she pulled the reins on her mouth.
"We’re getting married. It’s not supposed to be so surprising," I said.
"Yeah, I know you’re getting married, but do you really want to marry Cassian?" Her gaze moved from me to Ryan, as if hesitating. "There are rumours that Cassian has weird sexual kinks; he might even be gay. You told me that yourself. You even said someone like Ryan is your type of man."
I stiffened, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end... The air shifted—cold, heavy... lethal.
I felt him before he spoke.
"Is that right? What other things did my future wife tell you?"
We all froze.
"M...Mr Knight," Roxanne started, her eyes wide.